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Irish Examiner
23-04-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
‘Alarming' increase in levels of forever chemical TFA found in European wines
Levels of a little-known forever chemical known as TFA in European wines have risen 'alarmingly' in recent decades, according to analysis, prompting fears that contamination will breach a planetary boundary. Researchers from Pesticide Action Network Europe tested 49 bottles of commercial wine to see how TFA contamination in food and drink had progressed. They found levels of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), a breakdown product of long-lasting Pfas chemicals that carries possible fertility risks, far above those previously measured in water. Wines produced before 1988 showed no trace of TFA, the researchers found, but those after 2010 showed a steep rise in contamination. Organic and conventional wines showed a rise in TFA contamination, but levels in organic varieties tended to be lower. 'The wines that contained the highest concentration of TFA, on average, were also the wines we found with the highest amount of pesticide residue,' said Salomé Roynel from Pesticide Action Network Europe, which has called on the European Commission and EU member states to ban Pfas pesticides. The researchers used 10 Austrian cellar wines from as early as 1974 – before policy changes they suspect led to the widespread use of precursor chemicals to TFA – as well as 16 wines bought in Austrian supermarkets from vintages between 2021 and 2024. When the initial analysis revealed unexpectedly high levels of TFA contamination, they asked partners across Europe to contribute samples from their own countries. The results from 10 European countries showed no detectable amounts of TFA in old wines; a 'modest increase' in concentrations from 13µg/l to 21µg/l between 1988 and 2010; and a 'sharp rise' thereafter, reaching an average of 121µg/l in the most recent wines. PFAS are chemicals that are widely used in consumer products, some of which have been shown to have harmful effects on people. Authorities have historically not been troubled by potential health effects of TFA contamination, but recent studies in mammals have suggested it poses risks to reproductive health. Last year, the German chemical regulator proposed classifying TFA as toxic to reproduction at the European level. A study in October argued the persistent nature of the substance and the growth in concentrations imply that TFA meets the criteria of a 'planetary boundary threat for novel entities', with increasing planetary-scale exposure that could have potential irreversible disruptive impacts on vital Earth system processes. Hans Peter Arp, a researcher at Norwegian University of Science and Technology and lead author of the study, who was not involved in the Pesticide Action Network report, said that although the new research was only a preliminary screening, the results were 'expected and shocking'. 'Overall they are consistent with what the scientific community knows about the alarming rise of TFA in essentially anything we can measure,' he said. 'They also provide further evidence that Pfas-pesticides can be a major source of TFA in agricultural areas, alongside other sources such as refrigerants and pharmaceuticals.' The main sources of TFA are thought to be fluorinated refrigerants known as F-gases, which disperse globally, and Pfas pesticides, which are concentrated in agricultural soil. Concentrations of F-gases rose after the 1987 Montreal protocol banned ozone-depleting substances such as chlorofluorocarbons, while Pfas pesticides are thought to have become widespread in Europe in the 1990s. A study in November using field data from southern Germany revealed a 'significant increase' in TFA groundwater concentrations when comparing farmland with other land uses. Gabriel Sigmund, a researcher at Wageningen University in the Netherlands and co-author of the study, who was not involved in the Pesticide Action Network report, said TFA could not be degraded by natural processes and was very difficult and costly to remove during water treatment. For most TFA precursor pesticides, there is little to no available data on their TFA formation rates, he added. 'This makes it very difficult to assess how much TFA formation and emission potential agricultural soils currently have, as accumulated pesticides can degrade and release TFA over time,' he said. 'So even if we completely stopped the use of these pesticides now, we have to expect a further increase in TFA concentrations in our water resources and elsewhere over the next years.' - The Guardian Read More Famed Sherpa guide attempts to climb Mount Everest for 31st time
The Guardian
23-04-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
‘Alarming' increase in levels of forever chemical TFA found in European wines
Levels of a little-known forever chemical known as TFA in European wines have risen 'alarmingly' in recent decades, according to analysis, prompting fears that contamination will breach a planetary boundary. Researchers from Pesticide Action Network Europe tested 49 bottles of commercial wine to see how TFA contamination in food and drink has progressed. They found levels of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), a breakdown product of long-lasting PFAS chemicals that carries possible fertility risks, far above those previously measured in water. Wines produced before 1988 showed no trace of TFA, the researchers found, but those after 2010 showed a steep rise in contamination. Organic and conventional wines showed a rise in TFA contamination, but levels in organic varieties tended to be lower. 'The wines that contained the highest concentration of TFA, on average, were also the wines we found with the highest amount of pesticide residue,' said Salomé Roynel from Pesticide Action Network Europe, which has called on the European Commission and EU member states to ban PFAS pesticides. The researchers used 10 Austrian cellar wines from as early as 1974 – before policy changes they suspect led to the widespread use of precursor chemicals to TFA – as well as 16 wines bought in Austrian supermarkets from vintages between 2021 and 2024. When the initial analysis revealed unexpectedly high levels of TFA contamination, they asked partners across Europe to contribute samples from their own countries. The results from 10 European countries showed no detectable amounts of TFA in old wines; a 'modest increase' in concentrations from 13µg/l to 21µg/l between 1988 and 2010; and a 'sharp rise' thereafter, reaching an average of 121µg/l in the most recent wines. PFAS are chemicals that are widely used in consumer products, some of which have been shown to have harmful effects on people. Authorities have historically not been troubled by potential health effects of TFA contamination, but recent studies in mammals have suggested it poses risks to reproductive health. Last year, the German chemical regulator proposed classifying TFA as toxic to reproduction at the European level. A study in October argued the persistent nature of the substance and the growth in concentrations imply that TFA meets the criteria of a 'planetary boundary threat for novel entities', with increasing planetary-scale exposure that could have potential irreversible disruptive impacts on vital earth system processes. Hans Peter Arp, a researcher at Norwegian University of Science and Technology and lead author of the study, who was not involved in the Pesticide Action Network report, said that although the the new research was only a preliminary screening, the results were 'expected and shocking'. 'Overall they are consistent with what the scientific community knows about the alarming rise of TFA in essentially anything we can measure,' he said. 'They also provide further evidence that PFAS-pesticides can be a major source of TFA in agricultural areas, alongside other sources such as refrigerants and pharmaceuticals.' Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion The main sources of TFA are thought to be fluorinated refrigerants known as F-gases, which disperse globally, and PFAS pesticides, which are concentrated in agricultural soil. Concentrations of F-gases rose after the 1987 Montreal protocol banned ozone-depleting substances such as chlorofluorocarbons, while PFAS pesticides are thought to have become widespread in Europe in the 1990s. A study in November using field data from southern Germany revealed a 'significant increase' in TFA groundwater concentrations when comparing farmland with other land uses. Gabriel Sigmund, a researcher at Wageningen University and co-author of the study, who was not involved in the Pesticide Action Network report, said TFA cannot be degraded by natural processes and is very difficult and costly to remove during water treatment. For most TFA precursor pesticides, there is little to no available data on their TFA formation rates, he added. 'This makes it very difficult to assess how much TFA formation and emission potential agricultural soils currently have, as accumulated pesticides can degrade and release TFA over time,' he said. 'So even if we completely stopped the use of these pesticides now, we have to expect a further increase in TFA concentrations in our water resources and elsewhere over the next years.'
The Guardian
19-04-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Fears that UK military bases may be leaking toxic ‘forever chemicals' into drinking water
Three UK military bases have been marked for investigation over fears they may be leaking toxic 'forever chemicals' into drinking water sources and important environmental sites. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) will investigate RAF Marham in Norfolk, RM Chivenor in Devon and AAC Middle Wallop in Hampshire after concerns they may be leaching toxic PFAS chemicals into their surroundings. The sites were identified using a new PFAS risk screening tool developed by the Environment Agency (EA) designed to locate and prioritise pollution threats. RAF Marham and AAC Middle Wallop lie within drinking water safeguard zones. RM Chivenor borders protected shellfish waters, a special area of conservation, and the River Taw – an important salmon river. PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of synthetic chemicals widely used in firefighting foams and industrial processes as well as in aconsumer products including waterproof fabrics, non-stick cookware, cosmetics and food packaging. They are known as forever chemicals because they do not break down easily in the environment, and have been found polluting soil and water across the world. Some PFAS build up in the human body over time and have been linked to a range of serious health problems including cancers, immune system disruption and reproductive disorders. Military bases with airfields have used firefighting foams laden with PFAS for decades. Certain chemicals in foams including PFOS, PFOA and PFHxS have been linked to diseases and banned, but they remain in the environment. Prof Hans Peter Arp, from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, said contamination at UK military sites would not be surprising. 'Most, if not all, military bases in Europe and around the world have used vast quantities of firefighting foams that contain PFAS,' he said. 'They now have substantial PFAS concentrations in the soil and groundwater beneath them, as well as soaked into the concrete of their buildings.' He warned that PFAS pollution will continue for 'decades to centuries' unless immediate local clean-up actions are taken. 'These PFAS that are leaching now likely took several decades to get there. There are more PFAS to come.' This month the Environmental Audit Committee launched a formal inquiry into PFAS contamination and regulation across the UK. Campaigners and scientists warn that until the full scale of PFAS pollution is understood and addressed, the threat to human health and the environment will continue to grow. Alex Ford, professor of biology at the University of Portsmouth, said: 'The EA has now identified thousands of high-risk sites around the UK with elevated concentrations of PFAS compounds. These forever chemicals are being detected in our soils, rivers, groundwater, our wildlife – and us. 'It is very worrying to hear PFAS is being detected … close to drinking water sources. The quicker we get this large family of chemicals banned the better, as their legacy will outlive everybody alive today.' He added that the cost of cleaning up these pollutants could run into the billions – costs that, he argued, should be footed by the chemical industry. Not all water treatment works can remove PFAS, and upgrades would be costly. A spokesperson for Water UK, which represents the water industry, said: 'PFAS pollution is a huge global challenge. We want to see PFAS banned and the development of a national plan to remove it from the environment, which should be paid for by manufacturers.' Prof Crispin Halsall, an environmental chemist at Lancaster University, called for greater transparency and collaboration. 'The MoD shouldn't try to hide things. They should come clean and set up monitoring,' he said. The UK's monitoring of PFAS is trailing behind the US, where contamination on military sites has been the focus of billions of dollars in federal spending on testing and clean-up operations. In July, the US Environmental Protection Agency and US Army launched a joint project to sample private drinking-water wells near army installations. UK authorities only recently began to investigate the scale of the problem. Brad Creacey, a former US air force firefighter, spent decades training with firefighting foam on military bases across the US and Europe. During fire exercises, Creacey and his colleagues would ignite contaminated jet fuel and extinguish it with AFFF (aqueous film-forming foams) – often wearing old suits that were soaked and never cleaned. On one occasion he was doused in the foams for fun. Twenty years after he had stopped working with the foams, a blood test revealed that Creacey still had high PFOS levels in his blood. He has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer and now suffers from Hashimoto's disease, high cholesterol and persistent fatigue. 'We've taken on too much of a lackadaisical attitude about this contamination,' he said. 'Unless this is taken seriously, we're doomed.' Creacey is pursuing compensation through the US Department of Veterans Affairs and a separate lawsuit against 3M and DuPont. Pete Thompson is a former Royal Air Force firefighter who served at several UK airbases including RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire. During his service he regularly used firefighting foams in training exercises and equipment tests, and said they usually sprayed them directly on to grass fields with no containment. 'We used the foam in the back of what was called a TACR 1 – basically a Land Rover with a 450-litre tank of premixed foam on the back. Every six months we had to do a production test to prove that the system worked. That production test we just produced on to the grass … there was no way of stopping it going anywhere other than just draining in through the ground.' The MoD is working with the EA to assess its sites, and work has begun to investigate whether to restrict PFAS in firefighting foams. Military sites are not the only sources of PFAS pollution – commercial airports, firefighting training grounds, manufacturers, landfills, paper mills and metal plating plants can also create contamination problems. An EA spokesperson said: 'The global science on PFAS is evolving rapidly, and we are undertaking a multi-year programme to better understand sources of PFAS pollution in England. We have developed a risk screening approach to identify potential sources of PFAS pollution and prioritise the sites for further investigation. We have used this tool to assist the MoD in developing its programme of voluntary investigations and risk assessments.' A government spokesperson said: 'There is no evidence that drinking water from our taps exceeds the safe levels of PFAS, as set out by the Drinking Water Inspectorate. 'Our rapid review of the Environmental Improvement Plan will look at the risks posed by PFAS and how best to tackle them to deliver our legally binding targets to save nature.' The guidelines for 48 types of PFAS in drinking water is 0.1 micrograms per litre (100 nanograms per litre). Earlier this year, Watershed Investigations uncovered MoD documents raising concerns that some RAF bases might be hotspots of forever chemical pollution. In 2022, the Guardian reported that Duxford airfield – a former RAF base now owned by the Imperial War Museum – was probably the source of PFOS-contaminated drinking water in South Cambridgeshire. The site is now under investigation by the EA. Patrick Byrne, professor of water science at Liverpool John Moores University, said current monitoring efforts only scratch the surface. 'We're at the tip of the iceberg. We're only monitoring a handful of PFAS compounds. There are many others we don't yet fully understand or detect. 'There are tests that measure the total PFAS load in water, and we're finding huge discrepancies between those results and the levels of individual compounds. That tells us there's a lot more PFAS in the environment than we know.' Even where testing is under way, labs are overwhelmed. 'The Environment Agency's lab is inundated. Private labs can't keep up either,' he said. 'Analytical technology is improving fast – but we're racing to keep pace.'
