Overview

• TFA, a persistent breakdown product of PFAS-related substances, has been spreading rapidly in the Rhine and accumulating in surface and drinking water.
• Concentrations of TFA in the High Rhine have doubled from 0.1 µg/L to 0.8–1 µg/L over the past eight years, with further increases projected in the next 20 years.
• Existing water treatment methods cannot filter out TFA, and the chemical remains unregulated under current EU PFAS drinking water standards.
• Environmental authorities and waterworks leaders are demanding immediate bans on persistent chemicals like TFA to safeguard future drinking water quality.
• Experts warn that TFA’s extreme mobility and persistence pose risks to human reproductive health and aquatic ecosystems, emphasizing the need for early source reduction.