Is drinking tap water becoming dangerous? Maybe. On Thursday, January 23, UFC-Que Choisir published its study on the presence of PFAS, or forever chemicals, in water. And the results are shocking: whether in big cities like Paris or Lyon, or in smaller towns like Lunel or Lavernat, 33 chemical compounds, which is the maximum that the laboratory could test, were detected in tap water, including one that exceeds European limits.
✏️ dessin du jour pour @_lunion #polluants #pfas dans l’eau potable…#actu #dessindepresse pic.twitter.com/FUsa4zAWP8
— CHAUNU (@EmmanuelChaunu) January 24, 2025
The limit threshold of a persistent pollutant widely exceeded in Marseille
In 2024, the organization conducted various analyses in 30 French municipalities, with the help of the association Generations Futures. While PFAS were detected in all these cities, in 20 of them, the levels exceeded the European standard set at 100 nanograms/liter. Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) was notably found in 24 of the analyzed waters. Unfortunately, TFA is rarely tested for by regional health agencies during drinking water checks, the study indicates.
With a concentration of 6200 ng/l, Paris ranks second among the studied cities...
The highest TFA level, behind Moussac (Gard) where 13,000 ng/l were observed. Bruxerolles (Vienne) comes in third place with 2,600 ng/l.
Long-term harmful effects
The issue is that those known as “ eternal pollutants ” gather over 4,700 molecules. They can be found in the air, the water, and in the human body. If exposure to these PFAS is prolonged, they can act as endocrine disruptors and have an impact on fertility and on the development of certain cancers. As the study explains, TFA is “ quasi indestructible in the environment ,” which means that exposure is heightened, although it is not “ as dangerous as PFOA or PFOS .”
If the other analyzed PFAS remain in compliance with the standard chosen by France which is much less strict than those of other countries , the organizations behind the study emphasize the importance of being more vigilant.
Researchers have determined what happens to people’s liver when they are exposed to #PFAS. A researcher says that these substances, which almost everyone has in their bodies, increase the risk of developing type 2 #diabetes and metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver… pic.twitter.com/XFEz1DtTXj
— ScienceNews (@sciencenewsdk) January 24, 2025