A recent analysis by news site Apache has found traces of ultra-short PFAS in 75% of bottled spring and mineral water from the Ardennes, the High Fens, and the rolling hills of East Flanders.
Apache submitted 15 samples of bottled water to a specialised laboratory, which detected traces of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), a type of PFAS, in 11 of those bottles. This makes it the largest study of its kind on spring and mineral water in the country, according to Apache.
TFA is primarily known as a degradation product of fluorinated pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and plastic polymers. It is present in wastewater from various industrial processes and in the coolants of air conditioners. TFA is used as a building block for other PFAS compounds, is highly mobile in water, and is nearly non-degradable. New techniques can detect TFA in drinking water at concentrations as low as 50 nanograms per litre.
The highest concentration of TFA was found in Roman’s table water, which was recognised as natural mineral water until 2006. A bottle of Roman water recorded an exceptionally high level of 2,800 nanograms of TFA per litre.
“TFA is widely present, and as a producer, we take this development seriously,” said Roman spokesperson Thomas Lauwaert. “At the same time, we emphasise that it is the responsibility of the authorities to define and legally establish clear standards. We are closely monitoring these developments.”
