Persistent pollutants
Ultrashort PFAS dominate Dutch drinking water
Open access · cc by · source: Europe PMC
Across 18 Dutch plants, TFA and other C2–C3 PFAS dominate raw and finished water (often 49–99% of 56-PFAS mass); conventional carbon treatments often fail them, unlike longer-chain PFAS.
Key findings
Sum of 56 PFAS was 50–1150 ng/L in raw surface water and 90–530 ng/L in groundwater. Ultrashort PFAS (mainly TFA 30–1100 ng/L) were 49–99% of mass and barely differed after treatment. PAC/GAC sometimes showed negative ultrashort ‘removal’ (breakthrough/desorption).
Methodology
Authors grabbed triplicate raw and finished samples at 18 full-scale plants (surface and groundwater), quantified 56 PFAS including ultrashort acids and branched isomers, and compared sums to EFSA/DWD/RPF risk metrics and treatment type.
Limitations
Anonymous plants and one March–April 2021 campaign cannot rank every Dutch source year-round; TFA toxicology for drinking water is still unsettled relative to PFOA/PFOS guidelines.
How this study connects
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