In 12 French villages in the Ardennes and Meuse regions, the tap water is now too contaminated to drink. The culprit? PFAS.
PFAS (per- and poly-fluroalkyl substances) are a class of chemicals often used for their water-repellent and surfactant properties. They are used to manufacture non-stick cookware, water-resistance outdoor gear, firefighting foam, food packaging and other sorts of plastics and textiles.
They’ve become of great concern because of their persistence in the ecosystem. They scarcely biodegrade, if at all, and are partly propagated via their rapid absorption by micro-plastics.
PFAS also bioaccumulate, that is to say that they accumulate and concentrate up the food chain. This is especially problematic in the tightly organised combined industrial and agricultural regions of northwestern Europe.
The affected villages in France also sit in this region. Their situation is certainly exacerbated by their proximity to Basel airport, where PFAS-containing firefighting foam was used until 2017.
The tap water ban, however, became a focal point for broader concern. While the EU has a reputation for environmental regulation, its standard for permissible levels of PFAS is already 15 times greater than Canada’s.
PFAS are of special concern for teenagers. They are linked with early puberty in girls and delayed puberty in boys as well as reduced immune system function, and are suspected to lead to thyroid and liver function problems later in life. They are also tied to increased cholesterol and health problems during pregnancy.
The lower values in Spain, Slovakia and Slovenia suggest the association with the more industrially developed regions in northwestern Europe.
These chemicals are currently being phased out of production in Europe. It’s not clear yet, though, what kind of damage has been done.
For now, Australia appears to have been at least slightly buffered from the worst impacts. About 90% of Australian teenagers have PFAS in their blood, compared to 100% in the EU countries surveyed. Moreover, the quantity detected in Australian teenagers is close to that of Spain, some 10 times lower than the values found in France and Sweden.
Australian businesses have been banned from using PFAS from 1 July this year.
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