Dutch inspectorate: Harfmul PFAS chemicals pose rising risk to drinking water

The Human and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) has warned that PFAS chemicals in pesticides pose a growing threat to drinking water in the Netherlands. The warning was issued in a report, which was sent to the Tweede Kamer. The chemicals can barely break down in the environment or do not break down at all, posing a risk to human health.

According to the Inspectorate's new calculations, about 21,000 kilograms of the PFAS compound trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) enter water each year through pesticides, making the latter one of the largest sources of PFAS pollution in the country. To compare, the industrial sector emits around 2,000 kilograms a year, the ILT said.

PFAS-containing pesticides are used in, for example, potato farming. The chemicals spread to the surroundings through air or water.

“Use of pesticides has nearly doubled since 2022,” Edwin van Houten, director of supervision and enforcement at the ILT, told NOS. In 2022, the figure was 25,000 kilograms, while in 2024 it was 465,000 kilograms. Part of that breaks down into harmful TFA. Some of those chemicals reach the sources used to produce drinking water. “We consider 21,000 kilograms of TFA a truly enormous quantity,” Van Houten said.