PFAS Released From Solar Farm Vegetation Control Herbicides

New studies show herbicides used under solar arrays contain fluorinated surfactants that migrate into soil and water, raising contamination concerns

Thursday, November 13, 2025 - Utility-scale solar farms are often seen as perfectly clean sources of energy, but new research shows that the chemicals used to control weeds beneath the panels may be creating an unexpected pollution pathway. Many vegetation control sprays used around solar fields contain fluorinated surfactants that help the herbicides spread evenly across the soil and withstand heavy rain. These same chemicals can break apart into PFAS compounds once they reach the ground. When storms hit, the runoff moves quickly across the cleared land beneath the panels and washes PFAS into nearby ditches, wetlands, and shallow groundwater. Communities living near these installations have started asking whether these operations unintentionally raise the PFAS cancer risk in surrounding areas, especially for residents who depend on private wells. Because PFAS drinking water standards are becoming tighter nationwide, rural towns are paying closer attention to any source of long-lasting chemicals that can accumulate over time. Regulators already know that agricultural herbicides can travel far beyond the areas where they are sprayed, and solar farms cover large amounts of land with minimal vegetation. As concern grows, several local groups are pushing for better chemical disclosures so that operators can prove that their weed management programs do not introduce new contaminants into water used by nearby homes and farms.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, PFAS compounds do not naturally break down in soil or water and can travel significant distances once released. This makes herbicide-related PFAS especially concerning in areas where solar farms sit above sandy soils or fractured rock, because water sinks rapidly through these ground layers with little natural filtering. Early testing around solar sites in several states has found PFAS traces in stormwater retention ponds and drainage channels that feed into community waterways. Researchers believe the chemicals are coming not only from spray solutions but from the surfactants used to keep the herbicides stable during storage.The issue highlights how even green infrastructure must be carefully managed to prevent hidden pollution from spreading into surrounding ecosystems. As PFAS drinking water standards continue to tighten, solar developers may soon need to test runoff more routinely and update their vegetation plans to use safer alternatives. Several states are already reviewing whether environmental permits for new solar installations should include PFAS monitoring, especially in regions that rely heavily on groundwater. Communities downstream want assurance that clean energy truly supports clean water and does not create new PFAS cancer risk concerns that were never part of the original environmental impact reviews.

Solar energy will remain an important part of the nation's clean power goals, but water safety will increasingly shape how these facilities are built and maintained. Operators may adopt on-site filtration systems for stormwater or replace chemical vegetation management with mechanical mowing or ground cover plantings that reduce runoff altogether. Communities will also push for more transparency so they know exactly which chemicals are applied around solar projects. If these changes take place, the industry can continue to grow while reducing PFAS cancer risk and protecting nearby wells, streams, and aquifers from contamination.

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