State Rep. Tarik Khan, who represents parts of Northwest Philadelphia including Chestnut Hill, is joining an effort among state lawmakers to phase out the use of PFAS, known as “forever chemicals.”
Khan, a Democrat who represents the 194th House District, was the prime sponsor of legislation introduced last week that would ban the sale and use of pesticides in the state that contain PFAS unless it’s an unavoidable use. The human-made substances persist in the environment, the human blood stream and food supply chain for decades.
PFAS recently made headlines in Northwest …
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State Rep. Tarik Khan, who represents parts of Northwest Philadelphia including Chestnut Hill, is joining an effort among state lawmakers to phase out the use of PFAS, known as “forever chemicals.”
Khan, a Democrat who represents the 194th House District, was the prime sponsor of legislation introduced last week that would ban the sale and use of pesticides in the state that contain PFAS unless it’s an unavoidable use. The human-made substances persist in the environment, the human blood stream and food supply chain for decades.
PFAS recently made headlines in Northwest Philadelphia after Pennsylvania officials issued a “do not eat” advisory for fish in the Wissahickon Creek basin due to the presence of PFOS, a type of PFAS, and PennEnvironment found the substance in most of the state’s waterways. Khan said in a Oct. 28 release that the bill, H.B. 2883, aims to “prevent further contamination” of the state’s environment.
“It’s incredibly sad that we can’t even eat the fish in the Wissahickon because they’re contaminated with toxic forever chemicals,” Khan said in the release. “As a nurse, I know these chemicals can harm our health, affect children’s development and even pass from mothers to their unborn babies. And these waterways ultimately feed into the rivers we rely on for drinking water.”
“We need to stop PFAS pollution at its source so our families and future generations have clean water that’s safe to drink and fish in,” he added.
Studies have linked exposure to PFAS to increased risk of certain cancers, immune system suppression and some developmental and reproductive issues.
According to the bill, it’s up to the state’s secretary of agriculture to designate any use of PFAS pesticide as unavoidable, meaning it’s “essential for the health, safety or the functioning of society and for which alternatives are not reasonably available.” This determination would be reviewed every year. The bill bars the use of PFAS pesticides at day care centers, residential lawns and for commercial mosquito-spraying operations 18 months after it takes effect. People cannot use a PFAS pesticide anywhere after two years.
Khan’s bill is part of a string of PFAS regulations that Pennsylvania lawmakers have recently introduced. Gov. Josh Shapiro last week signed legislation prohibiting firefighting foam containing forever chemicals, a common source of contamination in waterways. State House members recently passed legislation that would ban PFAS in specific consumer products like cosmetics and dental floss. That bill, H.B. 2145, has moved to the Senate.
“The research showing the health threats posed by PFAS chemicals seems to grow every day,” David Masur, executive director of PennEnvironment, said in the October release. “Preventing these chemicals from getting into our environment in the first place is the best and most effective way to protect the public’s health. That’s why PennEnvironment applauds Rep. Khan’s leadership on this issue and his introduction of H.B. 2883 to ban PFAS in pesticides.”
PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center, along with Environment New Jersey Research & Policy Centers and NJPIRG Student Chapters, released a report in mid-October that found 96% of tested waterways in Pennsylvania were contaminated with PFAS — including the Wissahickon.
“PFAS are pervasive in our environment and while strides have been made to protect Pennsylvanians, like the recent passage of legislation to prohibit PFAS in firefighting foam, we need to continue tackling other frontiers of exposure that further threaten our environment and health,” said Steve Hvozdovich, Pennsylvania campaigns director for Clean Water Action.
Hvozdovich said this issue needs to be a state priority following the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s approval of three PFAS-containing pesticides in July. The substances diflufenican, epyrifenacil and trifludimoxazin can be used on certain food crops. The EPA has also expanded the allowed use of PFAS pesticide bifenthrin and greenlighted the first food use of chlormequat since President Donald Trump took office in January 2025.
None of those forever chemical pesticides were sprayed in Philadelphia public spaces in 2025, according to data from the city’s Parks & Recreation Department.
Philadelphia has banned the use of synthetic pesticides in public spaces like Wissahickon Valley Park since 2020, when council members passed the Healthy Outdoor Spaces (HOPS) Law, sponsored by 8th District Councilmember Cindy Bass. Councilmembers passed the law to reduce public health risks, but city records revealed that Parks & Recreation increased its use of the chemicals in the following years. Department officials committed to enforcing the HOPS law at a June 2025 hearing.
Data shows the city sprayed 13.9 tons of pesticides in 2024 from January through late September and 14.8 tons in 2025 from January through early December. The amount of pesticides sprayed in the Wissahickon declined from nearly two tons to 0.8 tons, according to data from Parks & Recreation.
