The quality of tap water in many municipalities in France is increasingly called into question, particularly because of pollutants such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) which exhibit rate above standards.
In his documentary broadcast on France 5 Monday November 25the journalist Hugo Clement raises the alert on the pollution of tap water. The investigation is available on France TV until April 30, 2024.
Pesticides in tap water
Through this report, Hugo Clément investigates tap water. Where does she come from? What does it contain? How is it treated? We know that for several years tap water is increasingly polluted with pesticides.
The documentary takes us to several cities in France to understand how the zones of drinking water catchment. We discover in particular that in many sites in France, the water is polluted nitrates from fertilizers.
There are also other pesticides such as chlorothalonil considered carcinogenic, which is always present in degraded form in drinking water.
Depollution of tap water in France
The documentary shows that the soil in some areas is more polluted than others and makes the water unsafe for consumers. He also discusses techniques implemented to depollute tap water in France. More and more activated carbon is used in water treatment plants, imported from other countries. There are also mobile treatment stations to treat emergency problems.
The investigation also discusses the arrangements of certain municipalities for treating water. When drinking water exceeds pollution thresholds, for nitrates for exampleit is simply mixed with another, purer source, and sent back into the network. Others try to find agreements with farmers present near the catchment points so that they stop using pesticides.
The journalist leaves then meeting citizens and activists who are implementing solutions to reduce pollution at the source rather than financing ever more modern and very expensive factories.
What are PFAS?
Substances PFAS or per- and polyfluoroalkyl are non-stick, waterproofing chemical substances, resistant to high heat. These latter are many used since the 1950s in the industrial sector and in the products of everyday consumption such as clothing, food packaging, stoves, cosmetics. PFAS are found in, for example:
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components for paper and cardboard food packaging;
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firefighting foam;
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products used for photography, lithography;
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wax, used under skis to improve glide;
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insulation for electrical wires, electronic cables;
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certain household products, waterproofing or anti-stain agents or agents in the textile industry (rain gear, carpets and upholstery fabrics);
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non-stick kitchen utensils, electronic cigarette mouthpieces, iron soles;
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lubricants and waxes for floors and cars, in the manufacture of cosmetics or even anti-fogging, antistatic or reflective agents for varnishes and paints;
You should know that PFAS are very resistant and degrade little, hence the name “eternal pollutants”. They are found in our environment, including those that have been banned for several years. All environments can be affected by contamination: water, air, soil and the food chain.
What emergency solution?
The solutions proposed are to treat the problem at the source, by quickly banning the use of pesticides in the most polluted drinking water catchment areas. The objective is to no longer spread chemicals in places where drinking water is pumped. This solution would be more effective and less expensive than directly depolluting the water.
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