‘Forever chemical’ found in mineral water from several European countries

Contamination thought to stem from the heavy application of pesticides containing TFA, a type of PFAS

Mineral water from several European nations has been found for the first time to be contaminated with TFA, a type of PFAS “forever chemical” that is a reproductive toxicant accumulating at alarming levels across the globe.

The finding is startling because mineral water should be pristine and insulated from manmade chemicals. The contamination is thought to stem from the heavy application of pesticides containing TFA, or compounds that turn into it in the environment, which are used throughout the world.

Pesticide Action Network Europe detected TFA in 10 out of 19 mineral waters, and at levels as much as 32 times above the threshold that should trigger regulatory action in the European Union. The findings underscore the need for “urgent action”, the paper’s authors wrote, and come as authorities there propose new limits for some TFA pesticide products.

“This has gone completely under the radar and it’s concerning because we’re drinking TFA,” said Angeliki Lysimachou, a co-author with Pesticide Action Network Europe. “It’s much more widespread than we thought.” She added that researchers do not blame mineral water producers because the issue is not their fault.

The finding comes as researchers try to get a handle on TFA pollution globally. Though they long ago established that PFAS pollution is ubiquitous, they have found TFA levels that are orders of magnitude higher than other forever chemicals.

Aside from use in pesticides, TFA is a common refrigerant that was intended to be a safe replacement for older greenhouse gases like CFCs, and it is often used in clean energy production. But recent research has also established it as a potent greenhouse gas that can remain in the atmosphere for 1,000 years. About 60% of all PFAS manufactured from 2019 to 2022 were fluorinated gas that turns into TFA.

It is an especially difficult chemical due to its high mobility and longevity in the environment. Meanwhile, filtration technology effective at removing other PFAS from water cannot can’t address TFA on an industrial scale.

Still, industry is ramping up its use of TFA, or chemicals that turn into it once in the environment, claiming they are a safe, naturally occurring and nontoxic replacement for older PFAS and refrigerants. Mounting evidence from independent researchers has refuted those claims.

In pesticides, TFA is likely used as a stabilizer or to otherwise improve efficacy – around 40% of all active ingredients added to pesticides in the US are PFAS.

The new paper follows research that found TFA in 93% of more than 600 Belgian water samples, and especially high levels in agricultural regions. Meanwhile, Swiss authorities found it to be ubiquitous in the nation’s groundwater. In the US, all rainwater samples checked in Michigan contained the chemical.

Still, the Environmental Protection Agency recently excluded TFA from classification as a PFAS, which subjects it to less scrutiny. Public health groups have said the EPA faces pressure because TFA is a significant moneymaker for chemical producers.

The EU commission, meanwhile, is proposing a ban on two common pesticides that contain TFA compounds, and it may soon be classified as a reproductive toxicant.

“The first step is to ban the most widespread sources of TFA, the PFAS pesticides,” Pesticide Action Network Europe’s paper states.

Cover photo: Plastic bottles of mineral water. Photograph: Yagi Studio/Getty Images