By CASC4DE May 2, 2025
A recent pan-European study has revealed an alarming trend in the wine industry: widespread contamination of wines with trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), a degradation product of PFAS-containing pesticides and fluorinated gases.
📊 Key Findings
The study, coordinated by GLOBAL 2000 (Austria) and PAN Europe, and conducted with the support of 10 European NGOs, analyzed wine samples from 10 countries. The results are concerning:
- No detectable TFA before 1988.
- Average TFA concentration (2021–2024): 122 µg/L.
- Peak levels: Over 300 µg/L.
📄 Read full report : Message from the Bottle – The Rapid Rise of TFA Contamination Across the EU
🧪 Why TFA Is Concerning
TFA is part of the “forever chemicals” family:
- Extremely persistent: does not degrade in the environment.
- Accumulates in water, soils, plants, and even human blood.
- Suspected of reproductive toxicity and other health risks.
🚨 Call for Urgent Action
Researchers urge:
- Immediate ban on PFAS pesticides and fluorinated gases.
- Robust monitoring of TFA in food and beverages.
- A precautionary regulatory framework to address TFA risks.
🧲 CASC4DE’s Contribution
🔹 In this context, the development of non-targeted analysis tools for detecting PFAS, including TFA, has become essential for better characterizing and anticipating environmental and health risks.
CASC4DE supports economic and institutional stakeholders with innovative non-targeted analytical solutions to help deepen understanding of these emerging contaminants.