A rapid buildout of artificial intelligence infrastructure and continued industrial herbicide production are drawing scrutiny from environmental advocates and researchers warning about growing exposure to toxic chemicals linked to cancer, neurological disease, and long-term environmental contamination.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The accelerating growth of artificial intelligence infrastructure across the United States is intensifying concerns about toxic pollution tied to both data centers and chemical manufacturing facilities, as researchers and environmental advocates warn that communities near industrial sites may face increasing exposure to hazardous compounds including PFAS “forever chemicals” and the herbicide paraquat.
In suburban Virginia, massive data center campuses have transformed Loudoun County’s Ashburn area into what has become known as “Data Center Alley,” now regarded as the world’s largest concentration of data centers. The sprawling facilities, built to power AI systems including ChatGPT, Gemini, and MidJourney, consume enormous amounts of electricity and water while reshaping nearby residential communities.
According to a recent report, electricity prices in states such as Virginia have climbed sharply as utilities attempt to expand infrastructure fast enough to support the rapidly growing AI industry. Some estimates cited in the report show energy costs rising by as much as 267% over the past five years.
Julie Bolthouse of the Piedmont Environmental Council said the scale and placement of the facilities are fundamentally altering neighborhoods.
“[Data centers] are located in close proximity to houses and schools,” Bolthouse said. “You’re really changing those communities. These are huge boxes surrounded by fencing. They are not conducive to a walkable, livable environment.”
Opposition to the expansion has intensified as residents raise concerns about diesel generator emissions, water consumption, industrial noise, and environmental contamination. According to Data Center Watch, local resistance movements are delaying roughly $64 billion worth of data center developments nationwide.
Environmental advocates also warn that data centers may contribute to contamination involving PFAS chemicals, often referred to as “forever chemicals” because they do not naturally break down in the environment. In 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency concluded there is effectively no safe level of exposure to several PFAS compounds due to their toxicity and persistence.
PFAS compounds are used in cooling systems employed by many large data centers. Some facilities rely on refrigerant gases containing PFAS compounds, while others use immersion cooling systems where computer servers are submerged in chemical fluids that can leak into groundwater or wastewater systems.
The Trump administration has considered easing restrictions on certain PFAS chemicals because of their importance to data center construction and semiconductor manufacturing.
Norbert Conrad, deputy director of Germany’s High Performance Computing Center in Stuttgart, said PFAS-based cooling systems remain widely used because of their effectiveness.
“This is the most common way of cooling in data centers,” Conrad said. “It’s similar to how a fridge is cooled, just much bigger. You use a compressor and gases to cool air or water for the computers.”
Some refrigerants used in the cooling systems have global warming potential thousands of times greater than carbon dioxide.
Joseph Braun, a professor at Brown University’s School of Public Health, said safer alternatives exist but require greater financial investment.
“When you have enough evidence that something is harmful, you want to act, even in the face of uncertainty,” Braun said. “We know there are consistent, harmful things about the PFAS family. Which is why we should reduce their use, particularly when there are alternatives.”
The AI buildout is also driving increased semiconductor production, another industry heavily dependent on PFAS compounds. Judith Barish of CHIPS Communities United said semiconductor manufacturing involves widespread use of PFAS chemicals throughout the supply chain.
“There are over a thousand PFAS applications in the semiconductor supply chain,” Barish said. “They use a lot of PFAS, and there are also few short-term alternatives for it.”
Barish pointed to wastewater monitoring conducted near a GlobalFoundries semiconductor facility in Vermont, where regulators reportedly identified 13 PFAS compounds entering waterways connected to drinking water systems.
At the same time, environmental and public health advocates are raising separate concerns about paraquat, a widely used herbicide linked in numerous studies to Parkinson’s disease and other health conditions.
In Wayne County, Mississippi, home to approximately 20,000 residents, a chemical processing facility operated by Sipcam Agro has become one of the nation’s largest reported airborne emitters of paraquat. The county also ranks among the highest in the United States for Parkinson’s-related deaths between 2018 and 2024.
According to a detailed report by THE LENS, paraquat use in the United States has more than tripled over the last two decades as farmers increasingly rely on it to combat herbicide-resistant weeds. The chemical, often sold under the name Gramoxone, is sprayed on millions of acres of farmland annually.
Paraquat has been banned in more than 70 countries, including throughout the European Union, China, and Brazil. The EPA itself warns that even “one sip can kill.”
Research cited in Supreme Court filings states that even personal protective equipment does not fully protect workers handling the chemical.
Scientists have increasingly linked paraquat exposure to Parkinson’s disease, a progressive neurological disorder that affects movement and cognitive function. A major 2024 epidemiological study reinforced evidence connecting long-term exposure to Parkinson’s, while additional studies have associated exposure with thyroid cancer and childhood leukemia.
Researchers found people who apply paraquat are significantly more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease than those who have never used the herbicide. Separate research has found elevated thyroid cancer risks among individuals living near areas where paraquat is sprayed.
Syngenta, historically one of the largest paraquat manufacturers, announced in March that it would cease paraquat production in the United Kingdom by the end of June, citing increased competition from generic manufacturers.
But advocates say the move will not substantially reduce paraquat imports into the United States. Other manufacturers are expected to expand operations to fill the gap.
Data from nonprofit environmental group Coming Clean showed that imports of paraquat through the Port of New Orleans increased dramatically over the last two decades. In 2006, only 14 shipments reportedly arrived through the port. By 2025, annual shipments had reached 449.
Additional paraquat formulation and storage sites are operating in states including Texas, Georgia, Missouri, Kansas, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Mississippi, according to industry tracking documents.
Federal environmental filings show airborne paraquat emissions from the Sipcam Agro facility in Waynesboro, Mississippi surged after the company expanded operations with the assistance of Mississippi tax incentives. The company had also publicly announced expansion plans.
EPA records show the facility reported releasing more than 47,000 pounds of paraquat into the air during 2024 alone, with combined emissions exceeding 81,000 pounds across 2023 and 2024.
Kimberly Terrell of the Environmental Integrity Project described the emissions as highly significant.
“That level of paraquat emissions are far above what’s considered to be a major source for toxic air pollution,” Terrell said.
Studies examining nearby agricultural exposure sites have also raised concerns. One recent study found individuals living within 1,600 feet of paraquat application sites had 91% higher odds of developing Parkinson’s disease.
Another study published last year found people living on the same water systems as golf courses using pesticides experienced sharply elevated Parkinson’s risks.
Mississippi resident Ashton Pearson Sr., who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2013 after decades spent around agricultural operations, said he believes environmental exposure contributed to the disease affecting many residents in the region.
“There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that we’re all victims of our environment,” Pearson said.
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality confirmed the Sipcam facility remains subject to an active enforcement action concerning alleged air violations.
Public health advocates continue pressing federal and state regulators for restrictions or outright bans on paraquat. A 2023 study concluded eliminating paraquat use would not significantly reduce agricultural productivity while potentially preventing substantial health harms.
This year, lawmakers in states including Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, New York, New Jersey, Vermont, and Pennsylvania introduced legislation to restrict or prohibit paraquat use.
At the federal level, advocates have expressed concern over language proposed in the Farm Bill that could limit states’ authority to impose tighter pesticide restrictions than federal standards.
Environmental organizations also continue raising concerns about broader industrial pollution impacts in heavily industrialized regions such as Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley,” where paraquat processing and petrochemical operations intersect with historically poor health outcomes and lower life expectancy rates.
Researchers say the full long-term health impact from both the AI infrastructure boom and expanding industrial chemical operations may not become clear for years or decades.
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