PFAS have been found in Flemish drinking water. This is evident from a report by the Flemish Environment Agency (VMM) from the end of January, which the newspaper De Tijd reported on yesterday. This concerns the results of a monitoring campaign in 2022.
PFAS are man-made chemicals. Due to their grease and water-repellent properties, they were frequently used in, among other things, non-stick pans and fire-fighting foam.
How many PFAS are we talking about?
PFAS was found in 72 percent of the samples. The measurement results do comply with the Flemish standards that were established in 2023 and are based on European recommendations. These standards are 0.5 micrograms per liter for all PFAS together. For twenty PFAS, selected for their relevance to drinking water, the standard is 1 microgram per liter. These standards had to be met by January 2026 at the latest.
It is a different story if you use the target value of Efsa, the European Food Agency. This only allows 0.004 micrograms (or 4 nanograms per liter) of four specific PFAS (PFOA, PFOS, PFNA and PFHxS), all of which have been found in human blood. Below that strict threshold, called Efsa-4, no health effects should occur.
READ ALSO. Now it appears that there are also PFAS in ‘mountain’ that has been illegally on site for years: Paul Gheysens’ golf project is once again under controversy
Higher concentrations were measured in 15 percent of the samples in the water network and in 18 percent of the samples at the tap. However, the VMM is not obliged to test this value. “Based on scientific knowledge, it is not clear whether the Efsa-4 value is the most suitable limit value for PFAS in drinking water,” says Katrien Smet of the VMM.
(Read more below the photo)
Do we have to worry?
Long-term exposure to PFAS can cause health problems, such as disrupting growth and the immune system. But the drinking water companies say “that they meet the Flemish standard and that there is therefore nothing to worry about,” says Carl Heyrman of the AquaFlanders umbrella organization.
Professor emeritus Greet Schoeters, specialist in environment and health at the University of Antwerp, takes a slightly less reassuring tone. “Here and there quite large exceedances have been measured. I am referring to a PFOS measurement of 72 nanograms per liter. Such an exceedance may have been a one-off. On average it’s not too bad.”
But is our health at risk if we drink a glass of tap water? “No,” says Schoeters, “the measurements mainly show that there are too many harmful substances in our water. We have to work on getting that out. Everyone drinks water every day, so you don’t want any problematic substances in it.”
READ ALSO. ‘Little Belgians’ against large chemical giant: what chance does citizen collective have against 3M?
At the Flemish Department of Healthcare, “they follow up,” says spokesperson Joris Moonens. “We see no direct health risks, but our rule is: the less PFAS, the better.”
That is why the Flemish government has included the Efsa-4 target value in the drinking water decree. “To encourage drinking water companies to do even better in the future,” says Moonens. They have until 2028 to do that.
The news promptly led to questions in the Flemish Parliament. Environment Minister Zuhal Demir (N-VA) regretted “the panicky tone of the ill-considered reporting”. She emphasized that Flemish drinking water not only complies with the Flemish and European standards, but also with the American Hazard Index.
“If a stricter standard is introduced, we will adapt. It is now impossible to say how much impact this will have on the price of tap water.”
Carl Heyrman
AquaFlanders
Can we still get those PFAS out?
If there are PFAS in the water, it often concerns historical pollution. Fire brigade training grounds are a well-known hotspot. From there it penetrates the environment and ends up in the water. It is up to the drinking water companies to purify the water from PFAS. “If a stricter standard is introduced, we will adapt,” says Carl Heyrman. “That will require investments. More advanced purification techniques will have to be used, such as more activated carbon filters. It is now impossible to say how these costs will impact the price of tap water.”
The Flemish government and the drinking water companies are working on a figure that should be ready later this year. “The cheapest thing is still to prevent PFAS and other pollutants from ending up in the water,” says Heyrman.
