Researchers have discovered a relatively unknown form of PFAS in groundwater. In more than 200 places in the country, the PFAS substance TFA was found almost everywhere, and now scientists warn of the health risks in the future.
– If one day we have high levels in our drinking water, it will be very difficult to do anything about it, says Karl Lilja at the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.
Researchers from the Norwegian Geological Survey (SGU) have, together with the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, examined the groundwater at over 200 test sites around the country.
In over 90 percent of the sites, the PFAS substance trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) was found – one of the thousands of PFAS substances that exist today and about which scientists still know quite a bit.
– Yes, it is remarkable that we find TFA to the extent that we do. The concentrations also seem to be increasing, says Maria Åkesson, state geologist at SGU who is behind the survey.
Can cause liver damage in animal experiments
TFA comes from fluorinated gases which, among other things, are found in certain medicines and plant protection products as well as refrigerants and cooling systems, such as air conditioning in cars. When these products are manufactured or used, the fluorinated gases leak into the atmosphere. There they break down and rain down into the groundwater.
Because the TFA molecule is so small, it cannot be cleaned away, but is directly passed on to the drinking water.
– We currently know quite a bit about TFA’s toxic properties, but what we do know is that it can cause liver damage in animal experiments and is suspected of interfering with reproduction, says Karl Lilja, who works with PFAS substances and other dangerous substances in the environment.
Levels in the environment are increasing – limitation is being discussed
The levels of TFA found in Swedish groundwater are today below the limit values set in, for example, Germany and the Netherlands. The issue of introducing an international restriction is currently being discussed at EU level, among other things at the initiative of the Swedish Chemicals Inspectorate. Today, however, there are no limit values at all for TFA in Swedish drinking water.
– The problem is that we see that the levels in the environment are increasing. If one day we have high levels in our drinking water, it is very difficult to do anything about it, says Karl Lilja.
So is it a bit like a ticking time bomb?
– Yes, you could say that.