"Nearly 40% of nonorganic fruits and vegetables grown in California contain traces of pesticides that are also PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” according to a new investigation.

California supplies nearly half of the vegetables and more than three-quarters of the fruits and nuts eaten in the United States.

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are called “forever chemicals” because their strong carbon to fluoride molecular bonds can take years to decades — even centuries— to completely break down in the environment. It’s estimated there are nearly 15,000 types of fluorinated chemicals, or PFAS, in existence today."

Sandee LaMotte reports for CNN March 11, 2026. [2]