The European Commission has unveiled a new strategy to tackle PFAS contamination in water, focusing on costly cleanups and public-private partnerships, while critics push for stronger measures at the pollution source.
Amandine Hess reports for Euronews.
In short:
- The European Water Resilience Strategy commits to eliminating PFAS, or "forever chemicals," from water systems through public-private partnerships and investment in new treatment technologies.
- Health costs from PFAS exposure in Europe are estimated at up to €84 billion annually, while the cost of decontamination could reach €100 billion, with €18 billion just for drinking water treatment.
- Environmental groups argue the strategy misses the chance to ban PFAS at the source and warn that some forms, like TFA, are especially difficult and energy-intensive to remove from water.
Key quote:
"We expected to see more ambition to reduce pollution at the source."
— Angeliki Lyssimachou, head of science and policy at the Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe
Why this matters:
PFAS chemicals leach into water supplies, contaminating drinking water, rivers, and even rain. In Europe, most surface waters fail to meet ecological and chemical standards, raising the stakes for action. Yet cleaning PFAS from water is extraordinarily difficult and costly, often requiring advanced filtration and energy-intensive processes. The problem isn’t just legacy pollution: New PFAS continue to enter the environment due to lax regulation and the lack of alternatives for industries like medical tech and electronics. As climate change drives more droughts and water shortages across Europe, safeguarding freshwater is becoming more urgent. Without aggressive upstream controls and polluter accountability, taxpayers may end up footing the bill while exposure continues unchecked.
Read more: The hidden cost of Europe’s battle against PFAS contamination
