美国最大的农产品生产州加州将根据一项新法律，开始追踪农业农药中“永久化学物质”的使用情况。
California, the largest producer of agricultural goods in the U.S., will begin tracking the use of “forever chemicals” in agricultural pesticides under a new law.
州长加文·纽森（民主党）于周日签署了AB 1603法案，要求加州农药管理局在该州的公共农药数据库中识别含有全氟和多氟烷基物质（PFAS）的农药。
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Sunday signed into law AB 1603, which requires the California Department of Pesticide Regulation to identify pesticides containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, in the state’s public pesticide database.
新要求可能为环境和卫生官员提供更多关于加州农田使用PFAS的信息。该州生产了全国近一半的蔬菜和超过四分之三的本土水果和坚果。
The new requirements could provide environmental and health officials with more information about the use of PFAS on California farmland. The state produces nearly half of the nation’s vegetables and more than three-quarters of fruits and nuts grown on domestic soil.
“作为一位父亲，我不希望我的孩子吃被化学物质污染的草莓，这些化学物质会在他们体内停留数十年，”该法案的作者、议员尼克·舒尔茨（民主党）在新闻稿中表示。“我感谢纽森州长认同家庭有权知道他们的食物上喷洒了什么。”PFAS是一大类合成化学物质，通常被称为“永久化学物质”，因为它们在环境和人体中分解得非常缓慢。它们可以在整个环境以及人造商业产品中找到，包括特氟龙炊具、雨衣和快餐包装纸。
“As a father, I don’t want my kids eating strawberries contaminated with chemicals that will stay in their bodies for decades,” Assemblyman Nick Schultz (D), who authored the bill, said in a press release. “I’m thankful Governor Newsom agrees that families deserve to know what’s being sprayed on their food.”PFAS are a large class of synthetic chemicals commonly called “forever chemicals” because of how slowly they break down in the environment and in the human body. They can be found throughout the environment and in manmade commercial products, including teflon cookware, rain jackets and fast food wrappers.
某些PFAS与健康问题有关，包括一些癌症、高胆固醇和对免疫系统的严重影响。
Certain PFAS have been linked to health problems, including some cancers, high cholesterol and dire effects on the immune system.
该法案的早期版本原本会禁止加州监管机构批准含有PFAS的新农药，但遭到农业团体的反对。
An earlier version of the bill would have barred California regulators from approving new pesticides containing PFAS, drawing opposition from agricultural groups.
立法者最终删除了拟议的禁令，转而要求该州收集并披露有关PFAS农药使用的信息。
Lawmakers ultimately removed the proposed prohibition and instead required the state to collect and disclose information about PFAS pesticide use.
舒尔茨表示，该法律是“确保加州的农业遗产以健康和创新为定义的关键一步。追踪和监测是至关重要的第一步。”他继续说道：“你无法修复你看不见的东西。”
Schultz said the law is “a vital step toward ensuring California’s agricultural legacy is defined by health and innovation. Tracking and monitoring is the crucial first step.”“You can’t fix what you can’t see,” he continued.