BRUSSELS - Spring and mineral waters from the Ardennes, the High Fens and East Flanders contain traces of ultra short PFAS. Analyses ordered by Apache show that TFA has seeped deep into the natural water veins.
Over the past year, several organisations raised the alarm: TFA is being found in surface water all over Europe. A large-scale sampling for possible TFA in sources where spring and mineral water is bottled was imminent.
In late June, Apache went to supermarkets and drinking centres to collect 15 samples from 13 different Belgian bottled water producers who sell their water in Flanders. An accredited lab group examined the unopened bottles for seven types of ultra-short-chain PFAS (TFA, PFPrA, PFPrS, PFEtS, TFMS, 2,3,3,3-TFPA and 2,2,3,3 TFPA).
In more than half of the samples, the lab found traces of the highly mobile and persistent and toxic TFA, with one outlier above the Walloon and Dutch drinking water standards.
Producers and their industry association agree: pesticides that break down to TFA should be banned and protection zones around private spring and mineral water captures should also be established in Flanders.
This journalistic investigation is part of a long-running series on PFAS that has also previously received support from the Pascal Decroos Fund and Journalismfund. You can read more via 'The concealed PFAS problem' and 'Forever lobbying project'.
Photo: © Steven Vanden Bussche
ONLINE
- Kleinste PFAS duikt op in Belgisch flessenwater, Apache, 14/07/2025.
- Producenten flessenwater eisen PFAS-verbod bij waterbronnen, Apache, 14/07/2025.
PRESS
- 75 procent van flessenwater bevat sporen van PFAS, blijkt uit analyse van Apache, Het Nieuwsblad, 14/07/2025.
- 75 procent van flessenwater bevat sporen van PFAS, blijkt uit analyse van Apache, Het Laatste Nieuws, 14/07/2025.
- 75 procent van flessenwater bevat sporen van PFAS, blijkt uit analyse van Apache, Gazet van Antwerpen, 14/07/2025
- 75 procent van flessenwater bevat sporen van PFAS, blijkt uit analyse van Apache, Het Belang van Limburg, 14/07/2025.
- Trois bouteilles d'eau belge sur quatre contiennent des traces de PFAS, 7sur7, 14/07/2025
- Des PFAS dans votre eau en bouteille ? Voici ce que révèle une étude inquiétante, RTL, 14/07/2025.
- Des traces de TFA (PFAS) retrouvées dans 75% des bouteilles d’eaux de source et minérales belges, Le Vif, 14/07/2025.
- Kraantjes- en flessenwater niet helemaal vrij van pesticiden en PFAS, Artsenkrant, 17/07/2025.
IMPACT
- Meerderheid wil nog dit jaar Vlaams plan voor uitfasering PFAS-houdende pesticiden: “De tijd van wegkijken is nu echt wel voorbij”, Het Nieuwsblad, 21/10/2025
COUNTRY
- Belgium
