‘Forever chemicals’ push Europe's water pollution past safe limits

A few months ago, the latest RIWA-Maas report revealed alarming PFAS concentrations in the Maas river, which threaten the drinking water of 7 million Dutch people. The analysis showed that PFAS levels increased by 50% in the Dutch stretch of the river. 

‘Forever chemicals’ pollution is pressuring European water bodies overall. A recent European Environment Agency (EEA) analysis showed that pollutant concentration exceeded environmental quality standards (EQS) in 59% of sites in rivers, 35% in lakes, and 73% in transitional and coastal waters. The study includes 1300 sites across the continent, reporting perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) concentrations, one of the most harmful PFAS. 

PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) are thousands of human-made chemicals with water-resistant, grease-proof, and non-stick properties. For decades, they have been used in consumer products such as cookware, waterproof clothing, and food packaging. Given their lengthiness to break down and how they accumulate in the environment, they are called ‘forever chemicals’.

As their use surged, exposure to PFAS has been linked to several health issues, such as liver damage and thyroid disease. Furthermore, they can also cause hormone dysfunctions and hinder children's development. As they quickly end up in the environment, PFAS contaminate the food we eat, the main source of exposure.

Extensive PFAS exceedances

Coastal waters are the most polluted by PFAS. In 2022, 73% of the surveyed sites exceeded the EQS for the annual average of PFOS concentrations. River values are stable at around 50-60% of sites, while exceedance is rising in lakes. Overall, numbers suggest a decrease in PFOS concentrations, yet more evidence is needed to justify this trend.

Zooming into country levels, all the water bodies monitored in Belgium and Iceland exceeded PFOS concentrations. The Netherlands follows suit, with 96% of the reported water bodies surpassing EQS. 

The interactive map presented with the analysis shows the highest concentrations in coastal water bodies around Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Inland rivers and lakes generally have a lower magnitude of exceedance, while only two of the Dutch sites included in the map reported levels below the EQS.

A snapshot of the Dutch sites - © EEA

The threat posed by PFAS 

According to a 2023 study by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Dutch people are ingesting PFAS over the health-based guidance value. Food, especially fish, is the biggest source of exposure and other products such as coffee, eggs, and vegetables. The report also states that PFAS levels in drinking water greatly vary depending on the source. PFAS are in higher concentrations in drinking water originating from surface water than the one made from groundwater. 

Earlier this year, the EEA also presented the results of a series of studies on exposure to PFAS in European teenagers in eight EU countries and Norway. 14.3% of teenagers surveyed had blood levels above the health-based guidance value, with France and Sweden exceeding the 20% threshold. Geographical differences in exposures showed up in the assessment, with higher concentrations in northern and western Europe. 

Forever chemicals regulation is unclear

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) asks EU member states to track priority substances in surface water, including PFOS. Although PFOS was first restricted in 2010, it is still ubiquitous in the environment. In 2022, the European Commission proposed quality standards for 24 PFAS, including PFOS. The European Parliament and Council are considering this proposal. 

In 2020, the EU approved the Drinking Water Directive (DWD), which requires monitoring of PFAS levels in drinking water from 2026 and sets some limits. However, this regulation was approved before the Commission proposal, based on a later toxicity assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). A few member states, such as Denmark and Italy, approved national legislation to set specific PFAS thresholds. 

The EEA stresses that, despite providing an overview of the pollution, the extent to which regulatory threshold values are exceeded needs to be clarified due to some uncertainties concerning data. Each country self-reports this information. Nevertheless, the agency concludes that many EU monitoring sites are under pressure from PFOS pollution and supports the expansion of the list of priority substances proposed by the Commission.

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How can we avoid forever chemicals? 

As regulations need to catch up, research and technology are finding ways to clean the environment and eliminate PFAS. For instance, researchers at the water technology institute Wetsus developed a method to remove forever chemicals from water using a patented molecule. Similarly, German scientists developed plasma technology to eliminate PFAS found in soil, water, and everyday products. 

Still, we will need chemicals in the future. The Dutch Institute for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) created a tool to help companies formulate sustainable chemicals. As regulators need to step up, technology will also make PFAS a thing of the past.