2024-07-13 17:30:33
A new study shows that the level of pollutants in tap water is increasing across Europe. Two regions in Germany are affected. What you should know.
According to a new study, drinking water in several regions in Europe is contaminated with the perpetual chemical TFA. The levels found are “within the safety limits” and tap water can be drunk without concern. However, action must be taken now so that the water will still be drinkable in ten to 20 years, say the authors.
TFA stands for trifluoroacetate and is one of the so-called polyfluorinated alkyl substances, or PFAS chemicals for short. They are characterized by the fact that they can neither be filtered out nor destroyed. TFA is therefore also called the “forever chemical”.
So far, the effects of TFA have been little researched. However, other eternity chemicals have been linked to hormonal changes and an increased risk of cancer.
According to the study, in which the Austrian environmental organization Global2000 was involved, TFA was detected in 34 of 36 European tap water samples from eleven EU countries, as well as in twelve of 19 bottled mineral and spring waters.
The highest contamination was found in the Austrian federal state of Upper Austria. There, the TFA concentration was 4,100 nanograms per liter. Paris came in second with a contamination of 2,100 nanograms per liter.
Of the samples taken in Germany, those in Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia were the most affected. The concentration in drinking water was 1,100 and 1,000 nanograms per liter of water, respectively.
Contamination is considered “undetectable” when less than 20 nanograms of TFA per liter of water are measured. This was the case in Hamburg and Lower Saxony.
TFA mainly enters the water via PFAS pesticides. “What is particularly striking is that the highest levels of contamination in this sample test were found precisely in the (Austrian) federal states where most of the agricultural land is located,” said Helmut Burtscher-Schaden of Global 2000.
In addition to pesticides, TFA can also enter drinking water via cooling water or industrial waste.
On the one hand, there are calls for the pesticides to be banned. The authors of the study also advocate a legal limit for TFA in the EU. A value of 500 nanograms per liter could apply from 2026.
However, according to the authors, investments amounting to several billion euros would then be necessary to technologically upgrade the European drinking water supply and ensure that the limit is not exceeded.
In addition to Global2000, the Brussels-based Pesticide Action Network Europe (PAN Europe) and the French organisation Générations Futures were also involved in the study.