Concerns about PFAS pollution have increased in many European countries but comprehensive monitoring data are often limited.
A European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing ‘PFAS pollution in European waters’, shows that most monitored rivers, transitional and coastal waters and a large part of lakes in Europe are polluted with at least one of the many extremely persistent chemical compounds that are deemed harmful for people and nature.
It provides a first overview of the problem with the so-called ‘forever chemicals’ in rivers, lakes, transitional and coastal waters in Europe. PFAS pollution in water can harm human health and the environment.
PFOS is one of the approximate 10,000 compounds in the large group of PFAS, also known as ‘forever chemicals’ due to their extreme persistence in the environment. Based on 2022 data from about 1,300 monitoring sites in Europe, 59% of sites in rivers, 35% of sites in lakes, and 73% of sites in transitional and coastal waters exceeded the environmental quality standard for PFOS.
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Photo credit: Wolfgang Weiser
European water sector views on forever chemicals
Water Europe has issued a new Position Paper on PFAS, often referred to as “forever chemicals”, highlighting the views of the water sector. This aligns with the priorities of the European Commission under President Ursula von der Leyen, with Commissioner Jessika Roswall and Vice President Stéphane Séjourné tasked with accelerating the simplification of REACH regulations and providing clarity on PFAS as quickly as possible.
PFAS pose a significant challenge to public health and environmental safety, requiring bold, innovative, and sustainable solutions. Water Europe has outlined nine key recommendations in its position paper, offering a roadmap to guide Europe towards a Water-Smart Society that balances innovation, safety, and sustainability.
Durk Krol, Water Europe’s Executive Director said: “We are issuing 9 recommendations for a free of toxic PFAS Europe. In line with our vision to build a Water-Smart Society, we do believe that this position will enhance water safety and sustainability while minimizing socio-economic and ecological burdens”.
The nine recommendations are:
- Develop uniform methods for PFAS measurement and analysis across the EU.
- Introduce an obligation to provide information on the presence of knowingly added PFAS.
- Unroll the ECHA PFAS restriction’ process.
- Require industrial sites producing or using PFAS to cap PFAS flow.
- Establish a health-based threshold for trifluoroacetic acid (TFA).
- Introduce an Extended Producer Responsibility using a PFAS toxicity risk-based approach.
- Finance research and innovation activities to find alternatives to PFAS uses as well as PFAS removal technologies.
- Establish a list of approved and best available technologies for the safe management of PFAS concentrates.
- Balance the regulation of PFAS with the need for certain essential uses in production and essential functions in products, particularly for well-studied fluoropolymers of low concern with no evidence of health risks.
Read the full Position Paper