One-third of drinking water supplies contain high levels of PFAS - DutchNews.nl
Greenpeace’s postcode analysis says 32% of Dutch areas have PFAS levels at least 1.5 times the advisory limit.
- A recent Greenpeace analysis shows that 32% of areas in the Netherlands contain PFAS levels at least 1.5 times the recommended safe limit, with the group launching an online tool allowing householders to track local drinking water pollution.
- The ILT blames the contamination on increased trifluoroacetic acid use in pesticides, with two tonnes entering the water supply annually; western provinces report higher concentrations than northern regions like Drenthe, Friesland, and Groningen.
- Towns including Zaandam, Purmerend, and IJmuiden recorded concentrations of 14.3 nanograms per litre, which exceed the RIVM advisory threshold of 4.4 nanograms despite remaining below European Union legal limits.
- Patricia van der Linden of Vewin noted that western regions rely on surface water requiring more purification than groundwater, while campaign leader Eline Bosman stated they aimed to provide transparent pollution data per location.
- The Netherlands, Germany, and Scandinavian nations have lobbied since February 2023 for a total European Union ban on PFAS in pesticides, with RIVM spokesman Coen Berends stating the entire chemical group requires prohibition.
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Approximately one-third of Dutch drinking water contains more PFAS than is desirable according to the RIVM. Levels are particularly high in North and South Holland. This is evident from a PFAS map commissioned by Greenpeace based on public drinking water data. PFAS is a collective name for a group of chemical substances that do not occur naturally in the environment. They are harmful to health in large quantities, or if excessive amounts are in…
More than third of tap water exceeds limit for toxic chemicals; worst in Noord-Holland
The water serving more than a third of the Dutch population contains more PFAS than what the health guidelines set by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) allow. This was reported by Greenpeace on Tuesday, based on analysis of data from the country’s 10 drinking-water companies. In the western part of the country, the guideline is reportedly sometimes exceeded by over three times.
In large parts of the western Netherlands, tap water contains more PFAS than the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) considers advisable. This is evident from an analysis by environmental organization Greenpeace, based on data from the ten Dutch drinking water companies. The levels are particularly high in the northern Netherlands.
Tap water in large parts of the western Netherlands contains more PFAS than the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) recommends. This is the conclusion reached by Greenpeace in an analysis of data from the ten Dutch drinking water companies. High PFAS levels occur particularly in North Holland, according to Greenpeace. PFAS are chemical substances that can be harmful to humans and the environment.
Particularly in the provinces of North and South Holland, there are high levels of PFAS in drinking water: up to three times the RIVM guideline value. However, PFAS contamination in drinking water throughout the Netherlands remains well below the legal standard.
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