Presence of eternal pollutants, PFAS, in tap water in Rouen: should we be worried?

The UFC-Que Choisir association in Rouen denounces the presence of eternal pollutants, PFAS, in the tap water of Sotteville-lès-Rouen and the center of Rouen. Faced with this situation, it calls for urgent measures to protect consumers and limit the impact of these pollutants on public health.

Should we stop drinking tap water in the Rouen Metropolis? As part of a study by UFC-Que Choisir and the Générations Futures association, samples taken in Rouen and Sotteville-les-Rouen reveal the omnipresence of eternal pollutants in tap water.

THE perfluoroalkylated and polyfluoroalkylated (PFAS), which we commonly call “eternal pollutants”because they are impossible to destroy, are present in most of our everyday objects such as non-stick pans, waterproof clothing or even in certain food and beauty product packaging.

The samples taken in the metropolis of Rouen show concentrations of:

• TFA (trifluoroacetic acid), a residue from the degradation of PFAS pesticides and other eternal chemicals, with a content of 250ng/l for Rouen-center and 110ng/l for Sotteville-les-Rouen.
• 2 other PFAS for Rouen center
  • PFOS : 22 ng/l
  • PFHxS : 2.2 ng/l
• A cocktail of 10 other PFAS for Sotteville-les-Rouen

The UFC -Que Choisir Rouen sounds the alarm: “In view of these worrying results, our association demands that public authorities apply truly protective standards while strengthening controls, and urges the parliamentarians of Seine-Maritime to adopt without delay the proposed law aimed at limiting PFAS releases. in the environment and to prohibit their use in certain consumer products.”

PFAS are called “dangerous” because it is associated with various health risks, including cancers, hormonal disorders and fertility problems.

But following these UFC-What to Choose samples, should we be alarmed? The European standard is 100 nanograms per liter for 20 PFAS. If we add TFA, it rises to 500 nanograms per liter. “The figures clearly show contamination but not pollution (in the absence of complete figures)”reassures Matthieu Fournier, hydrogeologist, water resources specialist and lecturer at the University of Rouen.

“For the French authorities, 'RAS' on the levy of the municipalities of Rouen and Sotteville-les-Rouenexplains UFC-Que Choisir. Regarding TFA, as it is not looked for in ordinary official control plans, its possible presence is currently under the radar.”

“The rates on the 20 PFAS are more or less consistent with what we find elsewhere in France and are below the standard of 100 ng/L”, reassures Emilie Rosso, Ijournalist for the France 3 Rhône-Alpes editorial team, nominated for the prestigious Albert-Londres prize for her investigation into PFAS.

“The results on TFA are, however, a first. There is no public data on TFA in France because it is rarely researched. However, the European standard for all PFAS is 500 ng/l, we would be so below”nuance our colleague.

“As for the other PFAS, if we took the much more protective standard for consumers, which Denmark will apply in 2026 (namely 2 ng/l for the sum of 4 PFAS), then the samples from Rouen-center and Sotteville -les-Rouen would also be considered non-compliant on this criterion”, continues UFC Que-Choisir.

The association calls for integrating TFA research into the official control plan and adopting more protective standards on the presence of PFAS in tap water, based on recent toxicological data and demands a ban on production and distribution of any pesticide considered to be PFAS.

TFA is a chemical compound, dubbed the smallest of the perennial pollutants, that is mobile and extremely persistent in the environment.

According to a study by Scandinavian and Swiss scientists, TFA is pmainly from the degradation of certain pesticides and fluorinated gases used in air conditioning and heat pump systems, “this ultra-short chain PFAS is emerging as an environmental and health issue.”

The study also highlights the massive releases of PFAS by factories like that of BASF in Saint-Aubin-lès-Elbeuf, “where high concentrations of TFA have been noted in the effluents”. These practices worsen an already critical situation.

The association calls on Seine-Maritime parliamentarians to act quickly to protect consumers and the environment.

Last week, new data was transmitted to the Union of Lubrizol Victims. These are the results of analyzes of groundwater, the pollution of which was revealed in 2023, under the disaster zone and under the factory. Reassuring data but which revealed the presence of PFAS.

Since the beginning of 2023, France has launched an action plan, aimed at monitoring water quality and anticipating future French regulations on PFAS, expected for 2026. In the meantime, the ARS have implemented occasional surveillance.