PAN Europe welcomes ECHA’s publication of the German proposal to classify TFA as toxic to reproduction. The substance is a breakdown product of PFAS pesticides. We urge the EU to take immediate action by banning PFAS pesticides, a key source of pollution in water and food with this forever chemical.
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has published the dossier of German authorities on the hazard assessment of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) [1]. As expected, the dossier recommends classifying TFA as toxic to reproduction (category 1B) as well as persistent, mobile and toxic (PMT) and very persistent and very mobile (vPvM).
“The evidence confirms that TFA can affect healthy pregnancies and children's development. Its extreme persistence and growing presence in the environment and water resources demand urgent regulatory action to ban all substances that break down to TFA. PFAS pesticides should be banned right away,” said Angeliki Lysimachou, Head of Science and Policy at PAN Europe.
TFA is an ultra-short-chain PFAS. It is increasingly detected across Europe in surface waters, precipitation, groundwater, plants, food and wine.
Scientific studies show that PFAS pesticides are the dominant source of TFA in agriculture, responsible for 76% of groundwater contamination [2]. Once released, TFA accumulates irreversibly, contributing to what experts warn is a planetary boundary threat to vital Earth system processes [3]. Water companies have no cost-efficient method to remove it; they ask the EU to take urgent measures to stop TFA emissions to the environment, including by phasing out PFAS pesticides. [4]
The EU countries recently discussed the TFA problem when they decided to ban the widely used herbicide flufenacet. “Based on those elements, the Commission considers TFA to be a toxicologically relevant metabolite with a high potential to contaminate groundwater. Therefore, it has not been demonstrated that, in the light of the current scientific and technical knowledge, flufenacet would not have harmful effects on groundwater or any unacceptable effect on the environment.” [5]
Those interested in the TFA classification by ECHA can comment on the file in the next six weeks. Next, the Risk Assessment Committee (RAC) will provide an opinion for classification by the EU. The decision process can take another 1.5 years. More time would then be needed to review the authorisation of the individual PFAS pesticides.
PAN Europe calls on the EU and Member States not to wait for ECHA’s classification but to take measures to immediately ban all 32 PFAS pesticides still authorised in Europe. “Why wait for more harm from this forever chemical? The first responsibility of our governments is to protect public health; they must act now, ” says Angeliki Lysimachou.
Learn more:
Notes for the editor:
[1] ECHA TFA dossier
[2] Trifluoroacetate (TFA): Laying the foundations for effective mitigation | Umweltbundesamt
[4] EurEau position paper on TFA
[5] Implementing Regulation concerning the non-renewal of flufenacet
Contact:
- Angeliki Lysimachou, Head of Science and Policy, angeliki [at] pan-europe.info, +32 2 318 62 55
- Salomé Roynel, Policy Officer, salome [at] pan-europe.info, +32 451 02 31 33
- Tjerk Dalhuisen, Communications Officer, tjerk [at] pan-europe.info, +31 6 146 99 126
