High concentrations of PFAS compounds in Brussels drinking water: impact on unknown people

That’s writing RTBF and confirms Vivaqua to BRUZZ. Since the beginning of 2021, the water company has been measuring the presence of TFA in the six reservoirs that provide drinking water to the residents of Brussels. Trifluoroacetic acid is a component of PFAS, a non-polluting chemical compound also known as such chemicals forever are mentioned. For the entire group of PFAS compounds, the maximum value in Europe is 500 nanograms per liter, a standard that will come into effect in Brussels from January 2026.

Only 8 of the 287 measurements made by Vivaqua since the beginning of 2021 found concentrations of less than 500 ng/l. In 97 percent of the measurements, values ​​were determined that are higher than the future European standard. Concentrations of 1,000 ng/l or more were revealed in 170 measurements. The three highest concentrations were measured in the Daussoulx-Boitsfort (1,900 ng/l), Rode (1,800 ng/l) and Callois (1,700 ng/l) reservoirs.

Vivaqua confirms the data to BRUZZ, but does not comment because it is “a complex file that is constantly changing. ” No maximum concentration has yet been set for TFA in Brussels. In Wallonia, the Independent Scientific Council (CSI) compiled a guide value last week. It is 2,200 ng/l.

‘No risk’

Little is known about the long-term effects of TFA on human health. TFA is a chemical substance widely used in industry and science, and is a corrosive substance that can cause burns. However, according to the CSI, the concentrations of TFA found do not appear to be harmful to humans. According to the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), TFA is likely to have the same health effects as other PFAS.

As in Wallonia, the RIVM uses a guideline value of 2,200 nanograms per liter for trifluoroacetic acid in drinking water. This limit is not exceeded in any water reservoir in Brussels. According to toxicologist Jan Tytgat (KU Leuven), there is little cause for concern. “The RIVM is known for hard and detailed work. If I also look at other authorities, it does not seem that such concentrations are so unhealthy,” says Tytgat.

The toxicologist refers, among others, to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Since 2014, it has used guidelines for an adequate daily intake of TFA. “For the EFSA, this is 50 micrograms per kilogram of body weight. This means that a person weighing fifty kilograms can take up to 2,500 micrograms of TFA per day. Even a child weighing ten kilos can take up to 500 micrograms of TFA per day.”

These values ​​are therefore thousands of times higher than the concentrations measured in the Brussels water reservoirs. If tap water contains 500 nanograms per liter of TFA, a ten-kilogram child would need to drink a thousand liters of water in a day to exceed the appropriate daily intake set by EFSA. “According to EFSA, there is no risk at all,” said Tytgat, who also points out that there is little information about the long-term effects of low concentrations of TFA on humans.

Expensive investments

The measured TFA values ​​may not have any impact on public health, but there may be regulatory implications. “According to Europe, we have to consider TFA as a PFAS and then the limit is 500 nanograms per liter,” confirms Tytgat. “As a toxicologist, I see that limit as very strict. The EU considers TFA a PFAS because it is a mixture of carbon and fluorine. You can include it, but as a chemist I don’t think it should be included, because PFAS are organic substances with three or more carbon atoms, while TFA only has two. ”

If the legislation does not change, the presence of trifluoroacetic acid could still cause many headaches for Vivaqua. TFA is a very small molecule that is difficult to filter with classic devices such as activated carbon, but it is an effective tool in the fight against larger PFAS molecules. TFA can only be removed from the water through reverse osmosis, which is a very expensive process that also involves losing a lot of water. So Vivaqua has to take care of heavy investments before 2026. And the Brussels water company is already in bad shape today.

Outgoing Environment Minister Alain Maron (Ecolo) believes that the problem must be tackled at source. “We are finding more and more pollutants in our food and water, with potentially negative effects on public health. The only way to deal with this problem is to stop the production of chemicals Harmful,” Maron told BRUZZ. “With the outgoing government we have made a decision about the standards. They have to be respected.”