A new study, released today by GLOBAL 2000 and several European partners, shows that Trifluoroacetic Acid (TFA), a very persistent and very mobile (vPvM) substance, continue to accumulate in Austrian groundwater because of continued emissions from diverse sources. Official Austrian monitoring data from 2018–2019 and 2024 showed increasing trends at all 16 sites. mean concentrations rose from 1.36 to 2.86 μg/L (+110%) and median concentrations from 1.01 to 2.05 μg/L (+103%). The study found a correlation between high TFA concentrations and high pesticide and nitrate levels in groundwater suggesting that PFAS pesticides are a main contributor to TFA pollution.
Oliver Loebel, EurEau Secretary General stated: “The study confirms the worrying trend of rapidly raising TFA concentrations in the aquatic environment. Only a prompt ban of all TFA-emitting or generating products, including PFAS-pesticides, can avoid a situation where Europe’s food security is jeopardised and the pollution levels of our drinking water resources reach critical levels.”
The study is here.