Today, in partnership with the University of York, Fidra releases the results of the first nationwide study into the presence of TFA, a small, little-known PFAS, in UK rivers. The findings are alarming: TFA was detected at 98% of the 54 sites tested, with some concentrations among the highest ever recorded globally. These results reinforce the urgent need to prevent further pollution of these persistent ‘forever chemicals’ through a wide-reaching restriction on PFAS.
Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) is a highly persistent and mobile PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) – a large group of ‘forever chemicals’ with proven negative impacts on human health and the environment. There are many potential sources of TFA as it is often formed following the partial breakdown of other larger PFAS, such as those used in fluorinated gases and pesticides[1]. Scientists are becoming increasingly concerned about TFA, due to its already widespread contamination around the world and growing evidence of potential harm [2]. So far, TFA has been found everywhere researchers have looked, appearing in surface water[3], groundwater[3], drinking water[1], and even in products like wine[4], beer[5], and food[6] across the globe.
Results show widespread TFA contamination in UK rivers
Figure 2: Locations of the 54 sites sampled for TFA in UK rivers
Our study monitored TFA concentrations at 54 sites, covering 32 rivers across the UK and throughout all seasons (214 samples in total). The study aimed to find out if TFA is present in surface water in the UK and to assess how the level of contamination compares to that found in other countries. This study has generated the first known data set on the concentrations of TFA in UK surface waters.
TFA contamination was found to be widespread across the UK with the substance detected at 98% of the 54 sites investigated.
UK rivers found to have some of the highest TFA levels recorded globally
The highest concentration (78,464 ng/l) was seen for a sample obtained from the River Kelvin in Glasgow. The graph below shows this study’s maximum TFA concentration found against other TFA studies from around the world. With the exception of the Scheurer 2017 study on the Neckar River in Germany [7], the maximum concentration detected in our study was the highest known recorded value.
Figure 2: Comparison of maximum TFA concentrations observed in this study with results from other countries [7], [8], [9], [10]
Should we be concerned about TFA?
TFA is being found across a wide range of environments — including rivers, groundwater[11], plants[12], soil[13], and even rain[14]. Scientists are increasingly concerned about its potential health and environmental impacts. Studies have linked TFA to birth defects in animals, and it has been proposed for classification in Europe as a chemical that is highly persistent, mobile, toxic, and harmful to reproduction[15], [16].
Currently, there are no practical or affordable ways to remove TFA from water. This means that without action to stop pollution at its source, levels in the environment are expected to keep rising — with potentially long-lasting and irreversible consequences.
What’s the solution?
Because TFA forms from many other PFAS, its extensive presence in the environment gives us a clear picture of just how widespread PFAS pollution is in the UK. These findings highlight the urgent need to prevent further PFAS pollution at its source and for the UK government to align with the EU’s proposed universal PFAS restriction to protect our health and environment.
Download and read the full reports:
https://www.fidra.org.uk/download/concentrations-of-trifluoroacetic-acid-tfa-in-uk-surface-waters/
References
[1] PAN EU et al., “TFA The Forever Chemical in the Water We Drink Only a rapid ban on PFAS pesticides and F-gases can save our water,” 2024.
[2] H. P. H. Arp, A. Gredelj, J. Glüge, M. Scheringer, and I. T. Cousins, “The Global Threat from the Irreversible Accumulation of Trifluoroacetic Acid (TFA),” Environ Sci Technol, vol. 58, no. 45, pp. 19925–19935, Nov. 2024, doi: 10.1021/acs.est.4c06189.
[3] BUND et al., “TFA in Water: Dirty PFAS legacy under the radar,” May 2024.
[4] Global 2000 and PAN EU, “Message from the bottle: The Rapid Rise of TFA Contamination Across the EU,” 2025.
[5] M. Scheurer and K. Nödler, “Ultrashort-chain perfluoroalkyl substance trifluoroacetate (TFA) in beer and tea – An unintended aqueous extraction,” Food Chem, vol. 351, Jul. 2021, doi: 10.1016/J.FOODCHEM.2021.129304,.
[6] Global 2000, PAN Europe, and Upper Austrian Chamber of Labour, “TFA in Cereal Products The Forever Chemical in our Daily Bread,” 2025, Accessed: Jun. 11, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.pan-europe.info/press-releases/2025/06/new-study-reveals-alarming-levels-%E2%80%98forever-chemical%E2%80%99-tfa-bread-pasta-and#:~:text=A%20new%20study%20reveals%20alarmingly%20high%20levels%20of,in%20a%20comparable%20study%20from%20eight%20years%20ago.
[7] M. Scheurer et al., “Small, mobile, persistent: Trifluoroacetate in the water cycle – Overlooked sources, pathways, and consequences for drinking water supply,” Water Res, vol. 126, 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2017.09.045.
[8] T. M. Cahill, “Increases in Trifluoroacetate Concentrations in Surface Waters over Two Decades,” Environ Sci Technol, vol. 56, no. 13, pp. 9428–9434, Jul. 2022, doi: 10.1021/ACS.EST.2C01826/SUPPL_FILE/ES2C01826_SI_001.PDF.
[9] M. K. Björnsdotter, L. W. Y. Yeung, A. Kärrman, and I. E. Jogsten, “Ultra-Short-Chain Perfluoroalkyl Acids including Trifluoromethane Sulfonic Acid in Water Connected to Known and Suspected Point Sources in Sweden,” Environ Sci Technol, vol. 53, no. 19, pp. 11093–11101, Oct. 2019, doi: 10.1021/ACS.EST.9B02211,.
[10] H. Chen et al., “Multimedia Distribution and Transfer of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) Surrounding Two Fluorochemical Manufacturing Facilities in Fuxin, China,” Environ Sci Technol, vol. 52, no. 15, pp. 8263–8271, Aug. 2018, doi: 10.1021/ACS.EST.8B00544/SUPPL_FILE/ES8B00544_SI_001.PDF.
[11] BUND Friends of the Earth Germany et al., “TFA in Water: Dirty PFAS Legacy Under the Radar,” 2024.
[12] F. Freeling, M. Scheurer, J. Koschorreck, G. Hoffmann, T. A. Ternes, and K. Nödler, “Levels and Temporal Trends of Trifluoroacetate (TFA) in Archived Plants: Evidence for Increasing Emissions of Gaseous TFA Precursors over the Last Decades,” Environ Sci Technol Lett, vol. 9, no. 5, 2022, doi: 10.1021/acs.estlett.2c00164.
[13] B. Xu, R. Alizray, D. R. Lammel, S. Riedel, and M. C. Rillig, “Concentration-dependent response of soil parameters and functions to trifluoroacetic acid,” Eur J Soil Sci, vol. 73, no. 4, Jul. 2022, doi: 10.1111/ejss.13266.
[14] F. Freeling, D. Behringer, F. Heydel, M. Scheurer, T. A. Ternes, and K. Nödler, “Trifluoroacetate in Precipitation: Deriving a Benchmark Data Set,” Environ Sci Technol, vol. 54, no. 18, pp. 11210–11219, Sep. 2020, doi: 10.1021/ACS.EST.0C02910/SUPPL_FILE/ES0C02910_SI_001.PDF.
[15] ECHA, “Registry of CLH intentions until outcome – sodium trifluoroacetate and other inorganic salts of trifluoroacetic acid.” Accessed: Jul. 01, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://echa.europa.eu/fr/registry-of-clh-intentions-until-outcome/-/dislist/details/0b0236e188e8d4b8#msdynttrid=hRQHA86nFzywm5iCf-tW1zWqft3a5Y90d9HQ8T341x4
[16] ECHA, “Registry of CLH intentions until outcome -Trifluoroacetic acid.” Accessed: Jul. 01, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://echa.europa.eu/fr/registry-of-clh-intentions-until-outcome/-/dislist/details/0b0236e188e6e587