{"id":41585,"date":"2026-05-13T00:01:02","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T04:01:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/?p=41585"},"modified":"2026-05-12T14:53:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T18:53:18","slug":"literature-review-documents-enhanced-toxicity-of-chemical-mixtures-in-aquatic-organisms-with-pfas-exposure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2026\/05\/literature-review-documents-enhanced-toxicity-of-chemical-mixtures-in-aquatic-organisms-with-pfas-exposure\/","title":{"rendered":"Literature Review Documents Enhanced Toxicity of Chemical Mixtures in Aquatic Organisms with PFAS Exposure"},"content":{"rendered":"

(Beyond Pesticides<\/em>, May 13, 2026) Published in Toxics<\/em><\/a>, a review finds that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) can heighten the risks to exposed organisms from environmental contaminants. Mixtures of these compounds can negatively impact the nervous, cardiovascular, immune, and reproductive systems, particularly in aquatic organisms<\/a>, and threaten overall biodiversity<\/a>. The review highlights synergistic effects<\/a> (greater in combination)\u00a0observed in\u00a0mixtures<\/a>, such as PFAS with<\/span>\u00a0pesticides and microplastics, that can cause enhanced oxidative stress<\/a>, neurotoxicity<\/a>, developmental defects<\/a>, and reproductive dysfunction<\/a>, among others<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe objectives were to evaluate the toxicological effects of mixtures of the selected contaminants with PFAS on aquatic organisms to better understand biological responses in animals,\u201d the study authors explain. \u201cBased on our review, data suggest that PFAS can modify the toxicity of co-occurring pollutants.\u201d<\/p>\n

Background<\/strong><\/p>\n

PFAS were first created in the 1930s and have since been used in many industries and in the production of many products. The multitude of PFAS sources and exposure routes leads to widespread contamination of the environment and organisms. PFAS in agriculture represents a large source, as PFAS can be pesticide active ingredients, used in the plastic containers that pesticides are stored in<\/a>, and as surfactants in pesticide products. Additionally, PFAS are used in many other plastic storage containers and food packaging, personal care products, nonstick cookware, cleaning supplies, treated clothing, firefighting foam, and machinery and equipment used in manufacturing\u2014all of which contaminate food<\/a>, water, soil, and the air. (See additional coverage on PFAS here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

A previous Daily News<\/em> piece, entitled \u201cScience on \u2018Forever Chemicals\u2019 (PFAS) as Pesticide Ingredients and Contaminants Documented<\/a>,\u201d shows how and to what extent PFAS can be introduced into pesticide products, and how this impacts health and the environment. The findings are gleaned from public records requests to state and federal agencies in the U. S. and Canada, as well as from publicly accessible databases discussed in the commentary \u201cForever Pesticides: A Growing Source of PFAS Contamination in the Environment<\/a>.\u201d The classification of PFAS is also of concern, as the number of PFAS in the U.S. heavily depends on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) definition, based on \u201ccase-by-case\u201d rulemakings and agency actions. The broad definition of PFAS as a compound with at least \u201cone fully fluorinated carbon\u201d has been adopted by many states and other authorities.<\/p>\n

EPA continues to ignore the widely accepted definition of PFAS, supported by scientists, through the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). EPA\u2019s current scientific definition of PFAS, also known as \u201cforever chemicals\u201d due to their persistence, is at odds with the prevalent scientific thinking of scientists worldwide who have challenged the agency\u2019s position and its resulting risk assessments. (See Artificially Narrow EPA Definition of PFAS Mischaracterizes Widespread Threat to Health and Environment<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Widespread Use of PFAS and Resulting Chemical Mixtures<\/strong><\/p>\n

EPA continues to register PFAS pesticides, including the latest instance with the active ingredient tetflupyrolimet (TFP) that was declared as an \u201cemergency.\u201d This emergency, however, is caused by weed resistance, which is a recurring and predictable event. By definition, a chronic and routine problem does not qualify as an emergency. As shared in Beyond Pesticides\u2019 comments<\/a>, the allowance of this emergency use of an unregistered pesticide is not warranted, given the serious concern about the hazards of this herbicide and the lack of a full registration review subject to public comment. According to public health advocates, a wide body of science on the effects of PFAS supports the removal of all PFAS from production, not the approval of a PFAS for emergency use, particularly for a compound that is not registered with EPA for any current uses.<\/p>\n

Beyond Pesticides has also commented on the increasing number of PFAS pesticide active ingredients proposed for use over the last year. The latest pesticide proposed for EPA registration, epyrifenacil<\/a> (agricultural weed killer), joins cyclobutrifluram<\/a> (soil fungicide\/nematicide), isocycloseram<\/a> (household and agricultural insecticide), diflufenican<\/a> (lawn and agricultural weed killer), and trifludimoxazin<\/a> (agricultural weed killer), making a total of five PFAS pesticide proposals in 2025 that have been associated with national and worldwide contamination of food, land, and water. Two of these, cyclobutrifluram<\/a> and isocycloseram<\/a>, have been approved as of last fall.<\/p>\n

Exposure to PFAS does not occur in isolation, as many compounds are continuously encountered in complex mixtures where the combined effects can differ substantially from those predicted by examining each substance individually. In humans, these compounds can accumulate, referred to as \u201cBody Burden<\/a>,\u201d which encompasses numerous chemicals. (See Daily News<\/em> here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Literature Review Methodology and Results<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the current review, researchers from the U.S. and Brazil performed a literature search for scientific literature published between 2010 and 2025 involving aquatic organisms, such as fish, algae, and microorganisms, with combined exposure to PFAS and other contaminants. \u201cMany studies to date have analyzed the biological impacts of PFAS on invertebrates and vertebrates, such as algae, fish, rodents, and humans,\u201d the authors report. They continue: \u201cSeveral PFAS, including perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), are reported to bioaccumulate within species and can contribute to a wide range of biological and physiological effects (i.e., altered metabolism, endocrine disruption, oxidative stress, reproduction disruption).\u201d<\/p>\n

Additional results include:<\/p>\n