Latest news with #PesticideActionNetworkEurope
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Researchers make shocking discovery about hidden health threat lurking inside wine bottles: 'Very difficult to assess'
Forever chemicals are lurking all around, whether it's in drinking water or common household items such as children's toys. Now, European scientists have discovered them in wine. Levels of trifluoroacetic acid, a degradation product of PFAS, have risen "alarmingly" in European wines in recent decades, according to researchers with the Pesticide Action Network Europe. According to The Guardian's summary of the results, the group tested 49 bottles of commercial wine, finding that those produced before 1988 had no traces of TFA but those from after 2010 showed a steep rise in contamination. Levels tended to be lower in organic wines and higher in varieties with the highest amounts of pesticide residue. Scientists believe the main sources of TFA to be fluorinated refrigerants known as F-gases and PFAS pesticides concentrated in agricultural soil, but there is scant data on formation rates for TFA precursor pesticides. "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," study co-author Gabriel Sigmund told the publication. "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." Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are a group of 15,000 compounds used in products including water-repellent clothing and nonstick cookware. They are also prevalent in drinking water supplies across the globe and popular foods such as rice, coffee, eggs, and seafood. One global study even found that about 31% of groundwater samples and about 16% of surface water samples contained high levels of PFAS despite not being located near any known contamination source. While researchers are still investigating the health impacts of these chemicals, they have been linked with decreased fertility, increased risk of cancer, and reduced ability of the body's immune system to fight infections, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Experts have not historically been worried by the potential health effects of TFA, but recent studies suggest that it could interfere with reproductive health, according to The Guardian, which added that the German chemical regulator recently proposed classifying the substance as toxic to reproduction. A number of governments across the globe have taken action to help reduce their citizens' PFAS exposure. For instance, PFOA was banned globally in 2020, and both the European Union and United States have made commitments to take action on PFAS contamination. Do you worry about having toxic forever chemicals in your home? Majorly Sometimes Not really I don't know enough about them Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. In the U.S., New Hampshire has banned ski, board, and boat waxes containing these chemicals, and at least 29 states were likely to consider legislation to reduce PFAS exposure in 2025. It's impossible to avoid PFAS, but there are a few things you can do to limit your exposure. They include ditching nonstick cookware and limiting your purchases of stain- and water-resistant clothing. You can also look for PFAS-free brands. Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Rising levels of ‘forever chemical' TFA found in European wines
Increasing levels of the trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) 'forever chemical' have been detected in European wines produced since 2010, according to new research. The 'Message in a Bottle' study, published by non-profit group Pesticide Action Network Europe (PAN Europe), assessed 49 old and "recent" wines harvested between 1974 and 2024. Wines from 10 EU countries were analysed, including Austria, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Belgium and Sweden. TFA is part of the family of chemicals known as PFAS , or per- and polyfluoroalkyl synthetic compounds. The substance was not detected in wines produced before 1988, but wines made since 2010 showed a "sharp increase" in contamination, PAN Europe said. Wines produced specifically between 2021-2024, or recent wines, contained an average level of 122 micrograms per litre, with some reaching more than 300 micrograms per litre. Average TFA levels varied across the wines, but all countries assessed had wines containing TFA levels "several orders of magnitude higher than the already high background levels in water", the study found, with wines from Austria being "particularly affected". Helmut Burtscher-Schaden, environmental chemist at Austrian environmental organisation Global 2000 and the study's "initiator", described the findings as "alarming in two respects" - the first being that they point to significant bioaccumulation of the TFA forever chemical in plants, and the second "more concerning" factor being the increase in TFA contamination since 2010. "We are likely ingesting significantly more TFA through our diet than previously assumed," he said. "Urgent action is needed to stop further TFA emissions into the environment." Policy officer at PAN's European branch, Salome Roynel, called the latest discovery "a clear wake-up call for the EU". She added: "Substances that release TFA into the environment must be removed from the market without delay. This must start with an immediate ban on all PFAS pesticides - a direct and easily preventable source of TFA pollution - along with a ban on F-gases.' EU member states are due to vote on a European Commission proposal to ban a PFAS pesticide called flutolanil, which releases TFA, next month, according to Roynel. 'We hope they understand that this is a decisive moment for the future of our water, our food, and ultimately our health, and vote to support its ban." Just Drinks has contacted European wine trade body the Comité Européen des Entreprises Vins (CEEV) for comment. A study published in July also found large quantities of the PFAS forever chemicals in humans consuming white rice, eggs, red meat, seafood and coffee. Posted on Elsevier's Science Direct website, the research looked into dietary sources of PFAS and found high levels in blood and breast milk samples from more than 1,500 mothers in New Hampshire in the US collected since 2009. "Rising levels of 'forever chemical' TFA found in European wines – study" was originally created and published by Just Drinks, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
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.'
