About half of California waterways contaminated with Pfas, pesticide analysis finds

Review detects ‘forever chemicals’ in many of the state’s tested streams and rivers, including drinking water sources

Around half of California waterways tested by regulators are contaminated with pesticides considered Pfas, “forever chemicals”, a new analysis of state and federal records shows, highlighting a risk in the substances’ wide use that is only beginning to come into focus.

The pesticides are linked to a range of health problems, including cancer, and the review is the first to systematically check for the dangerous substances in streams and rivers, which include drinking water sources.