Denmark bans 23 ”PFAS-pesticides”

Earlier this year (2025) the Danish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initiated a reassessment of six active substances used in 33 pesticide products. This action was prompted by findings from the “TriFluPest” research project conducted by the National Geological Surveys for Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), alongside other scientific inputs, including ongoing EU evaluations. These studies have shown significant formation of TFA (trifluoroacetic acid) due to degradation of the active substance. The active substances under review—fluazinam, fluopyram, diflufenican, mefentrifluconazole, tau-fluvalinate, and flonicamid —are all common examples of so called “PFAS pesticides”. Based on the evidence, the DK-EPA decided to withdraw approval for 23 of products containing these active substances, with decisions on the remaining ten expected by August–September 2025.

TFA has been increasingly detected in groundwater, surface water, drinking water, and also in agricultural products such as wine and cereals, across Europe. In Denmark, source tracking has identified both industrial uses (e.g., refrigerants and aerosol propellants) and “PFAS pesticides” as contributors to TFA contamination. In the GEUS report, the six reassessed active substances were all found to partly degrade into trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) in different agricultural soils tested. Prior EU pesticide risk assessments did not take this formation into account. The overarching rationale for the ban is the protection of groundwater, being the major drinking water source in Denmark, from TFA contamination.

The EPA has established phase-out periods of six to fifteen months for the banned products, based on a case-by-case assessment balancing environmental protection with socioeconomic impacts. In cases where alternatives exist or products have not been marketed recently, shorter transition periods were decided. Conversely, in scenarios with significant economic implications—such as starch potato production—the DK-EPA considered extended transition periods. In 2023, a total of 190 tons of these products were used in Denmark.

Links

DK-EPA (Miljøstyrelsen; in Danish)
GEUS (TriFluPest; in Danish)
Eurofins (PFAS pesticides)

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