2024-07-10 14:42:50
It follows an earlier study in June, also by the European Pesticide Action Network (PAN Europe) and its members, that found “alarming” levels of PFAS chemicals in Europe’s rivers, lakes and groundwater.
Widely used in everyday applications such as cosmetics, non-stick pans and fire extinguishers, long-life PFAS substances are highly durable products that can take centuries to break down.
The samples for this new study, taken from bottled and tap water in 11 EU countries, detected the presence of TFA (trifluoroacetic acid).
A major source of TFA is PFAS contamination used in some synthetic pesticides and refrigerant gases in refrigeration and air conditioning, among other applications.
The possible impact on human health of PFAS, and of TFA in particular, is growing, but “there are surprisingly few toxicological studies,” PAN Europe said.
Samples tested by the Water Technology Institute in Karlsruhe, Germany, found TFA in 34 of 36 tap water samples and in 12 of 19 mineral and spring water samples.
TFA values in tap water range from “detectable” to 4,100 nanograms/liter, with an average of 740 ng/L.
In mineral and spring water, TFA values range from “detectable” to 3,200 ng/L, with an average of 278 ng/L.
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PAN Europe supports the proposal by the Dutch National Academy of Public Health and the Environment to set the standard at 2,200 ng/L.
This “is organized in such a way that the consumption of drinking water only takes 20 percent of the tolerable daily intake,” says PAN Europe.
This limit is exceeded in mineral water analyzed in drinking water from Austria (4,100 ng/L), while in Paris, tap water is 2,100 ng/L.
Under European Union rules, from 2026 all drinking water must not exceed 500 ng/L for all PFAS, and NGOs are demanding that TFA be added to the list.
The previous decision to class TFA as “non-essential” under EU pesticide regulations is “disappointing” considering “the toxicological profile still leaves many questions unanswered”, the report said in May.
A recent study on rabbits and TFA exposure found birth defects in the children, raising serious concerns about this chemical.
PAN Europe has called for urgent interventions to address this “political failure”, starting with an “urgent ban” on PFAS pesticides and a review on the threat posed by individual chemicals like TFA.
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