Eternity chemical doubled in Austrian groundwater over five years — the same substance is widespread in Danish drinking water

The concentration of the controversial forever chemical TFA (trifluoroacetic acid) in Austrian groundwater has increased significantly in many locations over approximately five years. This is shown by a new analysis of measurement data from the Austrian Ministry of Agriculture, which environmental organization Global 2000 has obtained through access to information, and which has been analyzed in collaboration with environmental organization Pesticide Action Network (PAN Europe) and researchers from several universities. The Ministry of Agriculture examined 98 groundwater measurement sites in 2018/2019 and 107 in 2024. Of these, 16 were included in both time series — they are not representative but are distributed across eight of Austria’s nine states — and can thus provide an idea of whether TFA pollution is decreasing, stagnating, or increasing. All 16 sites showed an increase in TFA concentration from 2018/2019 to 2024. The average concentration of TFA rose from 1.36 to 2.86 micrograms per liter, more than doubling. One site saw its concentration more than quadruple from the first to the second measurement. Also widespread in Denmark It has been documented elsewhere that TFA has accumulated over decades. In 113 Danish groundwater boreholes, researchers from GEUS and the University of Bremen have demonstrated that there is more TFA in the youngest groundwater, thus mapping an increase over 60 years. TFA is now widespread in Danish groundwater and has so far been measured in about 40% of waterworks boreholes examined between 2021 and 2024, and in 89% of 247 tested GRUMO boreholes. In France, TFA has been found in over 90% of more than 1,000 samples of drinking and raw water, and a study has detected TFA in several conventional breakfast products across Europe. A committee under ECHA, the EU’s chemical agency, recommended in June that TFA be classified as toxic to reproduction category 1B. This means the substance can harm the unborn child and is suspected of reducing fertility. The classification must be formally adopted by the EU Commission. “The numbers reveal not just a pollution problem but a problem that is rapidly worsening. It is precisely the combination of already high concentrations and a continued increase that makes these results so concerning. We must quickly stop the rise. An important measure is to phase out PFAS pesticides and F-gases that produce TFA,” says Helmut Burtscher-Schaden, environmental chemist at Global 2000, in a press release. Strong link to agriculture Together with researchers from Vienna University, the Karolinska Institute, the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute/NTNU, and NGO Pesticide Action Network (PAN Europe), he analyzed the data provided by authorities. The analysis has been published as a preprint on chemrxiv.org and has not yet undergone peer review. The authors also investigated whether TFA measurements could be traced back to PFAS pesticides by comparing findings at individual sites with similar detections of pesticide and nitrate pollution. They found a relatively strong correlation with the amount of pesticides in the same boreholes and a strong to moderate correlation with nitrate levels resulting from fertilization. TFA pollution showed no correlation with the 27 other PFAS substances measured in the boreholes, which typically originate from industry and consumer products. “This pattern suggests that the use of PFAS pesticides in agriculture significantly contributes to TFA pollution,” says Helmut Burtscher-Schaden, adding that other sources of TFA, such as F-gases, cannot be ruled out as contributors to the pollution. 24 times above the limit In Denmark, authorities have documented that PFAS pesticides that produce TFA can contaminate groundwater. This led to a ban on 33 pesticides last year. This year, five other active substances are under scrutiny as they are also suspected of contaminating with TFA. In the EU, a limit value of 0.1 micrograms per liter applies for toxicologically relevant breakdown products of pesticides in groundwater. In May 2024, the EU Commission noted that TFA should be considered such a breakdown product. At the sites examined in 2024, 103 out of 107 measurements exceeded the limit, and the average concentration was approximately 24 times higher, according to the press release. Mattias Öberg, a toxicologist at the Swedish Karolinska Institute and co-author of the study, states that these findings should be viewed as more than local incidents. “TFA accumulates worldwide, and what is discharged today remains in the water cycle for several generations to come. The most important question is not only whether current concentrations already harm us but also what levels we leave for future generations. If we wait until health guideline values are exceeded before taking action, we have effectively already chosen not to implement any preventive measures,” he says in the press release. Angeliki Lyssimachou, lead environmental toxicologist at PAN Europe, now urges all EU countries to investigate their groundwater for TFA and calls on the EU Commission to phase out PFAS pesticides. She points out that EU regulations require countries to revoke approval if they assess that water quality standards cannot be met, and to modify or withdraw approval if the substance pollutes groundwater to an unacceptable extent. Ministry: No basis for general conclusions Austria’s organic organization Bio Austria also calls for immediate action and notes that the government’s framework already includes provisions for increased support to develop biological control methods as alternatives to synthetic chemicals. Since PFAS chemicals are synthetically created, biological methods and agents could serve as tools to prevent further PFAS contamination from pesticides. “This must now be implemented,” says Bio Austria’s chair, Barbara Riegler, according to the news agency APA. However, the Austrian Ministry of Agriculture does not currently plan to act immediately. The ministry states to the news agency that it takes the findings seriously but that the number of directly comparable measurement sites is low, and that the measurements come from potentially contaminated areas, thus not providing a basis for general conclusions about groundwater development. The goal, according to the ministry, is “to protect groundwater, the environment, and health at a high level while ensuring sustainable agricultural production and high-quality food supply.” Therefore, the ministry intends to investigate “all relevant” sources of pollution, and further measures — including bans — should be discussed at the EU level.