A coalition of non-governmental organizations claimed on Monday that “alarming” amounts of a persistent man-made “forever chemical” connected to synthetic pesticides are present in Europe’s rivers, lakes, and groundwater.
After analyzing over two dozen surface and groundwater samples from ten European Union nations, the European Pesticide Action Network (PAN Europe) and its members discovered PFAS long-lived chemicals in all of them.
They claimed that the concentration of one particular chemical, trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), constituted “the largest known area-wide contamination by a man-made chemical” and that it much surpassed the EU’s 27-nation limit.
“The extent of the contamination is alarming and calls for decisive action,” PAN Europe said in a new report detailing its findings.
PFAS, which are widely utilized in commonplace products like fire extinguishers, non-stick cookware, and cosmetics, are extremely robust and can take decades to decompose.
Concern over their potential effects on human health has grown since they have been found in fish, soil, water, and air in even the most distant parts of the world.
TFA is mostly produced by insecticides that break down PFAS. Additionally, certain cooling systems release them into the sky, and eventually rain brings them into the water cycle.
According to the paper, TFA is the “perfect” groundwater contaminant since it is highly mobile, soluble in water, and eludes soil and other naturally occurring filters that remove contaminants.
“They can enter the groundwater almost unhindered and remain there for centuries,” it continued.
TFA was detected in all of the water samples, with amounts ranging from 370 nanograms per litre to 3,300 nanograms per litre, according to testing conducted by the Water Technology Centre in Karlsruhe, Germany.
According to the analysis, TFA levels in almost 79% of samples were higher than the 500 ng/l suggested limit for total PFAS in the EU Drinking Water Directive.
It further stated that it was “regrettable” that TFA’s “toxicological profile still leaves many questions unanswered” and that it was therefore classified as “non-relevant” under EU pesticide rules.
It stated that there are major worries regarding TFA after a recent study on rabbits exposed to the chemical revealed birth abnormalities in the progeny.
In order to confront this “political failure,” PAN Europe demanded immediate action, beginning with a “rapid ban” on PFAS pesticides and a reconsideration of the risk presented by specific chemicals like TFA.
