Alarming results Study finds high PFAS concentrations in cereal products
Toxic eternal chemicals find their way into our food via pesticides: A study on the contamination of cereal products from all over Europe has now come to some alarming conclusions.
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- High concentrations of trifluoroacetate have been found in cereal products throughout Europe. It is formed when PFAS chemicals are broken down in the soil.
- Residues of the PFAS degradation product trifluoroacetate were found in 54 out of 66 samples from all over Europe.
- Pre-packed breakfast cereals are particularly contaminated according to the study by the Pesticide Action Network Europe.
Alarmingly high concentrations of toxic eternal chemicals have been found in cereal products throughout Europe. These are the findings of a study published on Thursday by the Pesticide Action Network Europe.
According to the study, residues of the PFAS degradation product trifluoroacetate (TFA) were found in 54 out of 66 samples of breakfast cereals, popular sweets, pasta, croissants, wholemeal and white bread and flour. The chemical is formed when pesticides containing PFAS chemicals are broken down in the soil.
The average contamination of the cereal products tested was 107 times higher than the average TFA concentration in drinking water. According to the study, pre-packaged breakfast cereals are particularly heavily contaminated.
"All people are exposed to TFA in various ways, including food and drinking water. Our findings underline the urgent need for an immediate ban on PFAS pesticides to prevent further contamination of the food chain," explains Salomé Roynel, Policy Officer at PAN Europe.
The study analyzed conventional cereal products purchased in 16 European countries. It is the first study of its kind at EU level. Previous studies had found high levels of TFA in wine and some contamination of tap water. TFA is water-soluble, which means that it can be absorbed by plants from the soil.
Chemicals only degraded after centuries
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of chemicals that have been used in the manufacture of consumer goods since the 1950s.
They are also known as perpetual chemicals as they can take hundreds or even thousands of years to degrade. Once they enter the soil or water, which is often the case, they remain there.
Their effects on human health and the environment have only recently become apparent. New studies are constantly being published on the link between some of these chemicals and diseases such as cancer.
According to these studies, trifluoroacetate, for example, is toxic to reproduction, meaning that it can impair reproductive capacity, fertility and fetal development. It is also associated with negative effects on thyroid, liver and immune functions.
