Connecticut State Sen. Saud Anwar is sounding the alarm over a new federal push to approve certain pesticides that may introduce more PFAS — the so‑called “forever chemicals” — into our environment.
As Washington considers letting these chemicals onto fields and farms, Anwar warns that years of work by communities in Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, Stamford, and beyond to remove PFAS from drinking water, soil, and consumer products could be undermined.
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PFAS, Pesticides, and a Growing Public Health Fight
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a family of man‑made chemicals. They show up in everything from nonstick cookware to firefighting foam.
They’re notoriously tough to break down, so they stick around in water, soil, wildlife, and people for decades. Health research has linked certain PFAS to cancer, immune system suppression, developmental problems, and liver damage.
Connecticut has been at the forefront of tackling PFAS contamination. Residents from towns like Manchester, West Hartford, New London, and Danbury keep a close eye on how these chemicals show up in local water supplies and on farmland.
Sen. Saud Anwar’s Warning to Washington
Sen. Saud Anwar, a physician specializing in pulmonary medicine and co‑chair of Connecticut’s Public Health Committee, is raising specific concerns about the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s direction.
The EPA is advancing at least five pesticides that either contain fluorinated carbon structures or break down into PFAS compounds once they enter the environment.
Anwar argues that approving these pesticides runs directly counter to Connecticut’s aggressive policies aimed at reducing PFAS exposure.
He worries that residents in communities from Enfield to New Britain could still face PFAS‑tainted produce and water if these chemicals are sprayed on crops and then leach into groundwater.
The Controversial Pesticides and “Forever Chemical” Breakdown
Pesticides at the center of this debate seem to transform into persistent PFAS once they’re applied to fields.
One example is cyclobutrifluram, a pesticide that won EPA approval in 2023.
Scientists have reported that cyclobutrifluram breaks down into trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), a highly mobile and corrosive compound now being detected more frequently in groundwater throughout the U.S. and Europe.
Environmental advocates say chemicals like cyclobutrifluram fit international definitions of PFAS because of their fluorinated structures and long‑lasting environmental footprint.
EPA’s Narrow PFAS Definition Under Fire
The dispute turns, in part, on how PFAS is defined.
Many international agencies consider a wide range of fluorinated chemicals as PFAS, including shorter‑chain variants that move easily through water and soil.
The EPA, though, uses a narrower definition that excludes many of these short‑chain compounds.
Critics say this approach misses the point: persistence and mobility are the real threats.
Even ultrashort‑chain PFAS like TFA can travel rapidly through groundwater and are extremely difficult to remove once they spread through aquifers that supply cities like Waterbury, Norwich, and Middletown.
Connecticut’s PFAS Crackdown Meets Federal Limits
Over the past several years, Connecticut lawmakers have passed a series of measures to curb PFAS exposure.
The state has moved to phase out PFAS in:
These steps are supposed to protect drinking water and farmland from long‑term contamination.
But there’s a catch: Connecticut can’t just ban pesticide products that have been approved at the federal level.
That means fields in rural corners of Litchfield County or suburban farms outside New Haven could still see application of chemicals that later break down into PFAS.
EPA Testing vs. Environmental Concerns
The EPA has pushed back on accusations that it’s green‑lighting PFAS‑laden pesticides.
The agency points to testing that reportedly found no detectable PFAS above 0.2 parts per billion in certain products.
However, environmental scientists and advocacy groups say those tests may not pick up ultrashort‑chain compounds like TFA, which can slip through typical testing methods.
In their view, absence of detection at higher thresholds isn’t the same as absence of PFAS altogether, especially when dealing with chemicals that can have effects at extremely low concentrations.
Industry Interests, Public Health, and What Comes Next
Sen. Anwar is blunt in his assessment: he thinks the EPA is leaning too heavily toward industry interests at the expense of public health protections.
He cautions that letting fluorinated pesticides onto the market could set the stage for new contamination crises, similar to the costly PFAS cleanups already underway near former firefighting training sites and industrial facilities.
From shoreline communities like Norwalk to inland towns such as Glastonbury, Connecticut residents have already seen how expensive and disruptive PFAS remediation can be.
Adding more persistent chemicals into the mix, Anwar argues, risks repeating that history. And honestly, who wants to go through all that again?
Protecting Connecticut’s Food and Water
Anwar says he’ll keep pushing federal regulators. He plans to use his spot on the Public Health Committee to fight for stronger protections.
He wants tougher reviews of pesticide approvals. He’s also calling for better testing for ultrashort‑chain PFAS.
Connecticut’s working to keep these chemicals out of drinking water and the food supply. The EPA’s decisions on PFAS-linked pesticides will shape what ends up on our fields and in our rivers.
Honestly, what lands on family dinner tables—from Greenwich to Groton—could look very different in a few years. There’s a lot at stake here, and it’s not just some distant policy debate.
Here is the source article for this story: State Senator Warns EPA Push For PFAS-Linked Pesticides Could Undercut Connecticut’s Chemical Bans
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