Analyzes reveal the presence of an unregulated chemical that had escaped the attention of health authorities and entered the tap water and mineral water consumed by Europeans, according to LeMonde.

This is trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), which has long escaped the radar and belongs to the large family of per- and polyfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS). The results of the analysis published on Wednesday 10 July by the Pesticide Action Network (PAN Europe) should help raise public awareness of the substance.

This ground-breaking study follows PAN Europe’s first measurement campaign, which in late May revealed widespread TFA contamination of waterways across the European Union. In total, 55 drinking water samples (36 from tap water and 19 from mineral or spring water) were taken in 11 countries (including France, Germany, Austria, Spain and Belgium) between May and June. The analyzes were carried out by the water technology center in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, an authority on PFAS detection.

The results are just as worrying as those for rivers. TFA was detected in 34 of 36 tap water samples (94%) and in 12 of 19 bottled water samples (63%). including a brand sold in France.

“Our study reveals an invisible threat: TFA is massively contaminating drinking water in Europe,” observed PAN network coordinator Salomé Roynel. The TFA found in water comes mainly from the degradation of pesticides belonging to the PFAS family (about 12% of the active substances in synthetic pesticides approved in the EU) and fluorinated gases used in cooling systems (refrigerators, air conditioning). Industrial discharges from TFA manufacturers and wastewater treatment plants are other sources of contamination.