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A type of “forever chemical” linked to health problems and birth defects has been found in tap water in several French cities and towns, including Paris, according to a study released Thursday. According to the survey conducted by consumer rights organization UFC-Q Choisir and environmental group Future Generations, the chemical TFA (trifluoroacetic acid) was found in 24 out of 30 samples taken specifically in Paris.
TFA are a type of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often called forever chemicals because they do not easily degrade. Additionally, concentrations of TFA in 20 out of 30 samples exceeded European regulatory limits for 20 individual PFAS. Under EU rules, all drinking water must contain no more than 500 nanograms per liter for all PFAS from 2026.
NGOs are demanding TFA be added to the list. Of the 30 cities and towns whose water was analysed, the French capital’s 10th district had the second-highest concentration, after Moussac in the south of France, with 6,200 nanograms per litre. The city of Bruxelles in western France came in third with 2,600 nanograms per litre.
‘No miracle solution’
The groups lamented that in France, TFA are “rarely – if ever – demanded” by regional health agencies during drinking water controls. “There is no miracle solution to offer consumers,” Pauline Servan, a toxicologist at Future Generations, told reporters Thursday. “Bottled water is also contaminated and filters are not effective.” In addition to TFA, both groups analyzed the presence of other persistent chemicals in the water.
PFAS concentrations are “in line with the standard chosen by France” where the limit is set at 100 nanograms/litre. But the standard is “much less stringent than other countries” such as the United States and Denmark, the groups said, adding that the French standards are “very unsafe” and not based on “any solid toxicological data.” .
If France implemented stricter standards and incorporated TFA, 80 percent of samples surveyed would be found non-compliant, said UFC-Q Choisir’s Oliver Andrault. “So we need to take action,” he said. “On an individual level, it is impossible to avoid PFAS,” Servan said. “That’s why we need collective action by public officials.” A bill aimed at restricting the manufacture and sale of PFAS, which was adopted on first reading by lawmakers in the spring of 2024, will be put up for vote again next month.
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