The first nationwide study on TFA in UK rivers has found the chemical in almost all of the sites tested. Some locations had concentrations among the highest ever recorded globally.

Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) is a small, very persistent and mobile chemical that is one of many per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), known as ‘forever chemicals’ because they can take generations to break down in the environment. The main source of TFA is from the breakdown of other PFAS that are used as pesticides and F-gases (a type of fluorinated gas commonly used in cooling fluids in refrigeration and air conditioning).

The study was conducted by Fidra, a Scottish NGO, in partnership with the University of York. They looked at 54 sites across 32 rivers in Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Northern England, and took samples throughout every season.

TFA was found at 98% of the sites, and in 31 of the 32 rivers investigated. A sample from the River Kelvin in Scotland showed one of the highest known recorded values of TFA contamination, second only to a 2017 study carried out on TFA in German rivers.

Concerns about TFA are growing due to its apparent widespread presence in the environment, with studies finding TFA in food, drinking water, and wine. Studies have also raised concerns about adverse health impacts, including potential toxicity to the liver and the reproductive system. The European Chemicals Agency has recently launched a public consultation on classifying TFA as a persistent, mobile and reprotoxic chemical.

In addition to potential impacts on human health, TFA is classified as harmful to aquatic life and according to Fidra there is currently no viable way to remove it from the environment.

Fidra says that this study highlights how widespread TFA pollution is in the UK and calls for PFAS to be controlled at source to prevent further contamination. They call on the UK government to align with the EU’s universal PFAS restriction, to protect people’s health and the environment.

CHEM Trust supports the universal PFAS restriction and the ban on PFAS pesticides, as well as the call for alternatives, many of which are either already available or in development.

Read more about TFA in our FAQs here.

Read more news.