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There\u2019s something monstrous lurking in the waterways of California, and it isn\u2019t the Sacramento Mothman<\/a>.<\/p>\n According to a new analysis<\/a> by the nonprofit Environmental Working Group, around half of California\u2019s water is contaminated by PFAS<\/a>, often called \u201cforever chemicals\u201d for their incredibly long lifespan. The EWG report was compiled using state and federal data, finding that up to 50 percent of surface water samples, and anywhere from 45 to 55 percent of sedimentary samples, are contaminated with PFAS from pesticides.<\/p>\n \u201cThese findings suggest pesticides could also be exposing millions of Californians to PFAS through water and soil,\u201d the EWG researchers write. \u201cWhat\u2019s worse, exposure may persist for generations, since PFAS never fully break down in the environment.\u201d<\/p>\n Though PFAS is a broad category by necessity, the various substances encompassing it have been linked to<\/a> altered immune and liver functions, heightened risks for cancer, and pregnancy complications, among other health issues. Where agricultural toxicants are concerned, at least 60 percent<\/a> of the active ingredients approved for use as pesticides can be categorized as PFAS.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we\u2019re seeing PFAS pesticides show up this often even in limited surface water and sediment tests, the true scale of this contamination is almost certainly even greater,\u201d said EWG senior VP\u00a0Bernadette Del Chiaro in a statement<\/a>. \u201cWe need to stop deliberately spraying these toxic chemicals on our crops.\u201d<\/p>\n As Varun Subramaniam, EWG analyst and one of the report\u2019s co-authors told the Guardian<\/a>, the results are \u201calarming but not surprising.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s concerning that we\u2019re finding these levels of PFAS pesticide,\u201d Subramaniam explained, but caveats that \u201cthey were applied at really high rates on produce, so it makes sense that they\u2019re in the streams and sediment.\u201d<\/p>\n Last year, another study<\/a> found that farms across California spewed an average of 2.5 million pounds of PFAS on their crops every year from 2018 to 2023.<\/p>\n Though the Guardian notes those researchers only tested brooks in ten of California\u2019s 58 counties, their tests revealed the highest concentration of PFAS in highly-agricultural areas. (It\u2019s not for nothing that these industrial farms are also a major source of rodenticide pollution, which is turning the organs of wild animals blue<\/a>.)<\/p>\n Put it all together, and it\u2019s clear that California\u2019s agricultural industry has a major pollution problem \u2014 an issue no doubt replicated across much of the United States<\/a>.<\/p>\n