by Matteo Cavallito<\/p>\n
Global agriculture is reckoning with a still underestimated growing problem: the spread of fluor-based substances<\/strong> contained in pesticides<\/strong>, a study<\/a> released in the journal Environmental Pollution<\/em> says. The investigation, quoted<\/a> in recent weeks by Scientific American magazine, focuses on the persistent uncertainty surrounding the management of these chemicals amid widespread concerns about their impact on the environment and human health.<\/p>\n The substances – called PFASs<\/strong> – are generically defined as forever chemicals. “Forever chemicals\u2014scientifically known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances,\u2014are a subset of so-called fluorinated chemicals<\/strong>, which possess strong carbon-fluorine bonds\u201d, Scientific American says. \u201cThat means such chemicals are both highly stable and useful in products designed to repel grease and water. But it also means they do not readily biodegrade.”<\/p>\n