eau-polluant-eternel

The drinking water in Toulouse is highly contaminated by a "forever pollutant."

undefined undefined 4 février 2025 undefined 19h00

The Editor

© Hanneke Wetzer/Shutterstock

The UFC Que-Choisir conducted a study on the presence of forever chemicals in French water. One of these is found in most cities and exceeds the set standard, especially in Toulouse.

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 the water. And the results are shocking: whether in big cities like Paris or Lyon, or smaller towns like Lunel or Lavernat, 33 chemical compounds, which is the maximum the lab could test, have been detected in tap water, including one that exceeds European limits.


The threshold limit of a persistent pollutant greatly exceeded in Toulouse

In 2024, the organization conducted various analyses in 30 French municipalities, with the help of the Générations futures association. 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 sampled waters. Unfortunately, TFA is "rarely tested for by regional health agencies during drinking water controls," the study points out.

With a concentration of 6200 ng/l, Paris ranks second among the studied cities with The highest TFA level, just behind Moussac (Gard) where 13,000 ng/l were observed. Bruxerolles (Vienne) comes in third with 2600 ng/l.


Long-term harmful effects 

The issue is that those known as “eternal pollutants” comprise over 4700 molecules. They can be found in the air, water, and in the human body. If exposure to these PFAS is prolonged, they can act as endocrine disruptors and have a impact on fertility and on the development of certain cancers. As the study explains, TFA is “almost 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 compliant 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.