Overview

• University of York–led researchers detected trifluoroacetic acid in 31 of 32 rivers sampled across the four UK nations.
• The River Kelvin in Glasgow showed 78,464 ng per litre—the second-highest surface-water TFA level recorded worldwide.
• TFA is a durable PFAS byproduct linked to reproductive and liver damage in mammals and toxicity in aquatic life, and it resists current water-treatment methods.
• The German Federal Environment Agency has petitioned the European Chemicals Agency to classify TFA as toxic for reproduction, bolstering calls for PFAS bans.
• The Drinking Water Inspectorate has commissioned its own study of persistent waterborne chemicals as MPs demand comprehensive reform of the UK water industry.