--- title: "New Study Finds Something Horrible Contaminating Half of California’s Water" description: "A new analysis using state and federal water samples found that 50 percent of California's surface water could be contaminated with PFAS." date: "2026-06-07" modified: "2026-06-07" authors: - name: "Joe Wilkins" job_title: "Correspondent" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jwilkins" url: "https://futurism.com/science-energy/study-contaminating-california-water-pfas" categories: - "Agriculture" - "Environment" - "Pollution" - "Science & Energy" --- # New Study Finds Something Horrible Contaminating Half of California’s Water ![A photograph of the Los Angeles river.]() *Shutterstock / Futurism* There's something monstrous lurking in the waterways of California, and it isn't the [Sacramento Mothman](). According to a [new analysis]() by the nonprofit Environmental Working Group, around half of California's water is contaminated by [PFAS](), often called "forever chemicals" for their incredibly long lifespan. The EWG report was compiled using state and federal data, finding that up to 50 percent of surface water samples, and anywhere from 45 to 55 percent of sedimentary samples, are contaminated with PFAS from pesticides. "These findings suggest pesticides could also be exposing millions of Californians to PFAS through water and soil," the EWG researchers write. "What's worse, exposure may persist for generations, since PFAS never fully break down in the environment." Though PFAS is a broad category by necessity, the various substances encompassing it [have been linked to]() altered immune and liver functions, heightened risks for cancer, and pregnancy complications, among other health issues. Where agricultural toxicants are concerned, at least [60 percent]() of the active ingredients approved for use as pesticides can be categorized as PFAS. "If we're seeing PFAS pesticides show up this often even in limited surface water and sediment tests, the true scale of this contamination is almost certainly even greater," said EWG senior VP Bernadette Del Chiaro in a [statement](). "We need to stop deliberately spraying these toxic chemicals on our crops." As Varun Subramaniam, EWG analyst and one of the report's co-authors [told the *Guardian*](), the results are "alarming but not surprising." "It's concerning that we're finding these levels of PFAS pesticide," Subramaniam explained, but caveats that "they were applied at really high rates on produce, so it makes sense that they're in the streams and sediment." Last year, [another study]() found that farms across California spewed an average of 2.5 million pounds of PFAS on their crops every year from 2018 to 2023. Though the *Guardian* notes those researchers only tested brooks in ten of California's 58 counties, their tests revealed the highest concentration of PFAS in highly-agricultural areas. (It's not for nothing that these industrial farms are also a major source of rodenticide pollution, which is [turning the organs of wild animals blue]().) Put it all together, and it's clear that California's agricultural industry has a major pollution problem — an issue no doubt replicated across [much of the United States](). **More on pollution:** *[The Military Base Home to Air Force One Leaked 32,000 Gallons of Jet Fuel Into the Potomac River Over the Last Few Months ]()* ## Author At Futurism, I focus on the intersection of technology and power — examining the economics, history, and politics behind today’s dystopian headlines. As a writer, I’m interested in topics ranging from AI’s impact on labor to startups nobody asked for. My prior work includes bylines in Jacobin, Verso, and Blue Labyrinths. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Forbes, The Guardian, MIT Technology Review, Time, The Nation, Mother Jones, The Verge, and Wired. I grew up in Michigan, attending Central Michigan University as well as Ball State University, where I earned a master of music. I now live in Brooklyn with my girlfriend and our cat Ziti. On weekends, you can find me hunched over a cold pint arguing geopolitics with the other transplants. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()