A new study led by researchers at the University of York reveals the extent of Trifluoroacetic Acid (TFA) contamination across UK surface waters. Published by environmental charity Fidra, the report is the first comprehensive assessment of TFA presence in UK rivers—and the results are sobering.
TFA is an ultrashort-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS)—a group of so-called “forever chemicals” due to their extreme persistence and mobility in the environment. Unlike longer-chain PFAS, TFA is highly water-soluble, enabling it to travel rapidly through aquatic systems and atmospheric pathways rather than binding to soil or organic matter. Its use in industrial processes, refrigerants, pesticides and fluoropolymers means it is now a widespread breakdown product found in rivers, rainfall, groundwater—and even human blood and breast milk.
Researchers sampled 54 locations across 32 rivers in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland throughout all seasons. The findings are stark:
- 98% of sites tested positive for TFA.
- The River Kelvin in Glasgow showed the second-highest concentration ever recorded globally.
- Average UK TFA levels are among the highest worldwide when compared to similar international studies.
- Only one site—the River Ness in Scotland—showed no detectable TFA.
TFA has long been detected in European water systems, with concentrations in rainfall increasing fivefold in Germany and over tenfold in Danish groundwater since the 1990s. A recent study by PAN Europe found that TFA made up 98% of all PFAS in water samples from 10 EU countries.
In response to emerging evidence of its toxic effects on animal reproduction, Germany’s Federal Institute for Risk Assessment has petitioned the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to reclassify TFA as a “presumed” reproductive toxicant—a move that could trigger tighter controls across the EU.
Conventional water treatment methods are ineffective against TFA. The only viable option—reverse osmosis—is prohibitively expensive, wasteful, and produces concentrated brine requiring indefinite storage. Meanwhile, no UK regulations currently exist to limit TFA levels in the environment or drinking water.
As low-level, lifelong exposure becomes the norm, researchers warn that more must be done to identify sources and prevent further pollution. TFA can be formed from the degradation of PFAS-containing pesticides and fluorinated gases, and its presence highlights the urgent need for upstream controls.
This study adds to a growing body of evidence that PFAS chemicals—including ultrashort-chain variants like TFA—are a systemic environmental issue. It also underscores the need for preventative policy approaches, including tighter regulation of PFAS use, improved monitoring, and corporate accountability.
Members of the One Health Breakthrough Partnership are co-authors of the report, and participants in the contaminants in UK rivers project led by the University of York – following on from the Pharmaceutical pollution of the world’s rivers global river surveillance study.
Read the full report: https://www.fidra.org.uk/download/concentrations-of-trifluoroacetic-acid-tfa-in-uk-surface-waters/