Overview

• A German research team analyzed EPA data and determined that just 0.52% of about 297,000 environmentally relevant chemicals have both occurrence and toxicity data.
• Current monitoring programs fail to detect many harmful substances, leaving chemicals like pyrethroids untracked at toxic concentrations.
• Researchers warn that low-level toxicity has gone unnoticed historically, with cases such as DDT and PFAS illustrating oversight risks.
• An advanced Swiss technique now offers sensitive detection of minute pyrethroid concentrations, but authorities have yet to set a timeline for its adoption.
• Experts caution that gaps in EU pesticide approvals and outdated regulations compound challenges to safeguarding water ecosystems as chemical use rises.