Most water bodies across Europe are contaminated with perfluorooctane sulphonic acid (PFOS), a toxic substance that exceeds regulatory thresholds designed to protect human health and the environment, according to a new report from the European Environment Agency (EEA).
The report, released on Tuesday, highlights widespread pollution and raises concerns over the long-term risks of these persistent chemicals, which remain in the environment for decades.
PFOS, which was banned in Europe in 2019, is one of the most common per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of man-made chemicals known for their resistance to heat, water, and oil.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified PFOS as a “possible carcinogen,” and its contamination in water poses significant health risks to both humans and wildlife.
The EEA report, the first of its kind in Europe, reveals alarming levels of PFOS contamination across various water bodies.
Between 2018 and 2022, an estimated 51% to 60% of rivers, 11% to 35% of lakes, and a shocking 47% to 100% of coastal waters in Europe exceeded the environmental quality standards for PFOS.
These standards are set to safeguard ecosystems and reduce the risks to human health, including cancer, liver damage, and immune system disruption.
The data, which was provided voluntarily by European countries, presents an overview of contamination levels, though it does not offer a complete picture, as not all member states participated in the monitoring.
Out of the 22 countries that contributed data, 14 provided information on the concentration of pollutants in surface waters in 2022.
The report’s findings indicate stark differences between countries. In Belgium, France, and Iceland, every water body monitored exceeded PFOS quality standards, while countries such as Croatia, Estonia, Ireland, Poland, and Spain reported exceedances in fewer than 20% of their sites.
Meanwhile, Bulgaria, Latvia, and Montenegro had no reported exceedances, suggesting regional disparities in contamination levels.
Nadia Cerioli, an EEA expert, pointed out that the persistent nature of PFOS makes it a significant problem across Europe.
“We have a problem with PFOS that is both persistent and widespread,” she said, stressing that despite the chemical’s ban, its presence in water continues to pose risks.
Magnus Lofsted, a co-author of the report, emphasized the need for more extensive monitoring. “We still need more monitoring data to map contamination and obtain a more complete picture of the hot spots for PFOS,” Lofsted stated.
The lack of sufficient data, according to him, makes it difficult to determine whether the trend of contamination is decreasing following the ban of PFOS.
The findings also underscore the difficulty in eliminating these pollutants from the environment once they have entered water systems.
Despite efforts to restrict and ban their use, the persistence of PFOS in water sources calls for continued vigilance and more robust regulatory measures across Europe.
The EEA’s report signals an urgent need for stronger action and more comprehensive monitoring across member states to prevent further environmental and public health risks from PFOS and other hazardous PFAS chemicals.
