The state’s departments of public health and agriculture are examining a recent study from the Colorado School of Mines that models the hazards of eating food irrigated with PFAS-contaminated water.

“These chemicals are present throughout our environment,” said Kristy Richardson, state toxicologist at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. “Colorado is committed to using the best available science to continually refine our recommendations. A key priority is to reduce exposure to these chemicals wherever they occur.” 

The study into PFAS chemicals – which is short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – determined that lettuce crops irrigated with contaminated water resulted in toxic exposure to humans. The data stemmed from simulations, however, rather than measurements from actual farms.

PFAS are found in consumer products and firefighting foams. The General Assembly passed a law this year to start the regulatory process for the capture and disposal of PFAS-containing foams. Among the health effects correlated with PFAS exposure are liver damage, increased risk of cancer and a decrease in the body’s response to vaccines.

CDPHE and the Colorado Department of Agriculture said in a statement they would “evaluate next best steps to ensure that produce in Colorado is not irrigated with water containing high levels of these chemicals.”