SOURCE:
https://bellporter.com/stories/how-long-islands-produce-is-impacted-by-forever-chemicals,109017
By Madilyn Rubery - March 11, 2026
The Citizens Campaign for the Environment Lunch & Learn
The Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE) hosted a webinar last Thursday, March 5, to discuss the impacts of toxic PFAS chemicals in New York, where scholars discussed their findings regarding the detection of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on locally grown produce on Long Island.
The online panel follows a collaborative study between Stony Brook University, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) and Citizens Campaign for the Environment, according to the CCE website. The discussion featured PEER director of Science Policy Dr. Kyla Bennett, CCE executive director Adrienne Esposito, Stony Brook University professor Dr. Lokesh Padhye and research consultant Dr. Seven Lasee.
According to the CCE, PFAS are toxic chemicals that can be found in drinking water, surface water, soil, consumer products and food. Though regulatory efforts in New York have been focused on drinking water quality and product bans, the webinar’s academics expressed their concerns for the effects PFAS may have on local food supplies.
“All PFAS are persistent, which means that because of that really strong bond, they do not readily break down in the environment,” Bennett explained. “Many of the ones that we have studied bioaccumulate in your body, and also those that we have done toxicity studies on, have been found to be toxic.”
In Long Island, drinking water is obtained from what the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines as a sole-source aquifer, meaning water taken from underground wells. New York drinking water standards, according to Esposito, require that it meet 10 parts per trillion (PPT) for PFOA and PFOS, the two most common PFAS chemicals. In 2025, however, the EPA considered rollbacks on its PFAS standards, with New York State (NYS) considering a reduction to 4ppt in order to meet federal standards.
Bennett also highlighted health concerns that have been linked to PFAS contamination, including testicular and kidney cancer, thyroid disease, increased cholesterol levels, obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, pregnancy loss, preeclampsia and childhood developmental delays. Additionally, high blood concentrations of PFAS have been known to cause vaccine immunity.
“In other words, when you get a vaccine, it’s not going to work as well because of the high PFAS levels,” Bennett clarified.
She also noted that PFAS exposure occurs through ingestion, skin absorption and inhalation.
“This is not a problem that is specific to Long Island,” Bennet said. “This is a nationwide contamination crisis. We are trying to understand the extent and the sources of contamination so we can talk about appropriate solutions.”
PFAS chemicals can pollute Long Island’s food supply through contaminated water. Fertilizers, pesticides and waste byproducts—which are used on farms to aid in crop growth—can also fall at risk for exposure and contamination.
“Again, this is not something that is unique to Long Island. This is a nationwide crisis that EPA needs to tackle, and unfortunately, they are not,” said Bennett.
The study was conducted in Summer of 2025 by CCE on farms throughout Long Island, consisting of both the North and South Fork. According to Esposito, researchers purchased a variety of locally grown vegetables—including carrots, Romaine lettuce, Boston lettuce and beets – from eight Long Island farms (two organic farms, six conventional). The produce was then carefully tested for contamination. Researchers found that PFAS chemicals were present throughout the region.
“This is not a farming problem,” Esposito noted, while also emphasizing the irrelevancy of the specific farms that were tested. “That is not what this presentation is about. The farmers are not doing anything wrong. We are not blaming farmers and their practices.”
“We are not blaming farmers and their practices… this study is a call for action, because it’s happening all over America. We had access to Long Island farms, so we tested them. So, while this study is alarming, it is not unique to Long Island. It is a broader and a bigger problem that needs to be addressed by the federal government.”
Esposito also went on to highlight a Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) study that examined rural soils across the state of New York. 548 soil samples were taken and tested from 116 rural properties not known to be near high concentrations of PFAS contamination. It was found that 97 percent of surface soil samples had levels of PFOS and 76 percent had levels of PFOA present, as well as other PFAS chemicals.
The webinar also noted that New York legislation has already been passed to combat PFAS contamination in products such as clothing, food packaging, firefighting foam, menstrual products, and more. Additionally, further preventative attempts against PFAS chemicals in everyday products continue to be introduced in new bills, hoping to amplify safer alternatives.