The Environmental Working Group just released its 2026 Dirty Dozen list — and for the first time, it specifically flags PFAS "forever chemicals" as a pesticide contamination problem on fresh produce.
Residues of fludioxonil, a PFAS-based fungicide, were found on nearly 90% of peach and plum samples tested, and in 14% of all produce samples overall.
Two other PFAS-based pesticides — fluopyram and bifenthrin — were also among the 10 most frequently detected chemicals across the list. In total, PFAS pesticides appeared on 63% of all Dirty Dozen samples.
WHAT’S NEW
Here's what's new this year — and why it matters more than the usual pesticide story. PFAS have been in the news for contaminated tap water and nonstick cookware. But this is the first time the Dirty Dozen has called out PFAS pesticides on fresh produce. Fludioxonil isn't a manufacturing accident or an industrial spill — it's a fungicide that farmers are intentionally applying to fruit, and it's showing up on almost every peach tested.
PFAS earn the "forever chemical" label because they don't break down. They accumulate in body tissue over time, and research links them to thyroid disruption, immune suppression, hormone interference, kidney disease, and certain cancers. The EPA is working to add several PFAS compounds to its drinking water contaminant standards — but PFAS on food is a separate, largely unregulated exposure pathway that gets far less attention.
The organic question matters more here than usual. The Dirty Dozen has always been the argument for buying organic on certain items. But organic certification explicitly prohibits synthetic PFAS-based pesticides — which means going organic on peaches, strawberries, and grapes is a meaningful PFAS-reduction move, not just a preference.
What to do right now:
Save this year's Dirty Dozen to your phone: strawberries, spinach, kale/collards/mustard greens, grapes, nectarines, peaches, cherries, apples, blackberries, pears, potatoes, blueberries. These are the ones to buy organic when the option and budget exist.
The Clean Fifteen — lowest-pesticide conventional produce — includes avocados, sweet corn, pineapple, onions, papaya, frozen peas, asparagus, and cabbage. Safe to buy conventional.
EWG's full 2026 guide (including the new PFAS pesticide breakdown) is free at ewg.org/foodnews.
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The Tox Report is an independent publication. We are not affiliated with any food, pharmaceutical, or supplement company. Content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.