PFAS in Water: Understanding the Challenge for Drinking Water

Why PFAS Are a Problem

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are used for their non-stick, water-repellent, and heat-resistant properties. Highly persistent, they accumulate in the environment (water, soil, biota), and some are known to have harmful effects on human health. In France, ANSES recently published two reports (“National PFAS Monitoring in Water: Overview, Issues, and Prioritization Proposal” and “Proposed National PFAS Monitoring Strategy: Permanent, Exploratory, and Local Surveillance”). These reports recommend expanding monitoring programs and prioritizing substances based on an occurrence/toxicity score, adding several compounds, including TFA (trifluoroacetic acid), which is now the most frequently detected PFAS in tap water. (Le Monde – “PFAS: ANSES’s Proposals for Better Control of ‘Forever Chemicals’,” October 22, 2025.)

Monitoring: The First Step in PFAS Management

The European Drinking Water Directive makes it mandatory, starting January 1, 2026, to monitor the sum of 20 PFAS with a quality limit of 0.1 µg/L. France has anticipated this requirement: the Regional Health Agencies (ARS) are progressively integrating these parameters into their 2025 monitoring programs, with result publication, re-testing procedures, and local action plans in case of exceedance. Meanwhile, the European Commission is studying four additional PFAS, signaling a possible expansion of the regulatory scope. This confirms a clear trend: PFAS monitoring will become more comprehensive, increasing the demand for rapid, reliable analytical solutions to anticipate exceedances and ensure drinking water compliance. (Ministry of Ecology (DREAL/DRIEAT) – “Monitoring PFAS in Drinking Water,” September 18, 2025.)

On the ground, regions such as Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes launched extended campaigns as early as 2022 (covering priority catchments, industrial areas, and discharge zones), which became routine monitoring in 2025. These regions now publish monthly updates on situations to watch and corrective measures taken (activated carbon treatments, mixing optimization, new treatment units). (ARS Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes – “Monitoring PFAS in Drinking Water” and “Focus on Southern Lyon,” 2025.)

And Wastewater Treatment Plants? The Blind Spot: Sludge

Another critical link lies at the end of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). A national decree has launched an initial campaign analyzing 20 PFAS at the inflow and outflow of WWTPs. However, NGOs are calling for the inclusion of sludge as well, since a significant share of PFAS adsorbs onto it before agricultural spreading, and for broadening the spectrum of analyzed compounds, notably TFA. They also advocate for permanent and transparent monitoring beyond the 2025–2026 campaign. (Générations Futures – “PFAS Analysis in WWTPs,” April–September 2025.)

The Case of TFA: An Omnipresent “Ultra-Short” PFAS

TFA is a degradation product of many PFAS (including some pesticides) and now stands out as the most abundant in water. Several scientific and environmental organizations are urging its explicit inclusion in regulatory monitoring and the establishment of specific quality reference values, given its mobility and resistance to conventional treatments. (Académie des Sciences – “PFAS Pollution,” Report of March 25, 2025.)

What Treatment Solutions Exist?

Current treatment lines (activated carbon, ion exchange resins, membranes) can reduce concentrations but do not destroy the molecules: they transfer them to other media (carbon, sludge, concentrates) that must then be managed. The Académie des Sciences emphasizes the need to couple separation with controlled destruction (for example, very high-temperature incineration with hydrogen fluoride capture) and to invest in more effective decontamination technologies, while reinforcing traceability, source control, and research (detection, health effects, environmental fate).

Implications for Municipalities and Operators

Map and prioritize catchments and discharges (water and sludge), integrating locally relevant PFAS (including TFA).

• Implement graduated action plans: quick operational measures (activated carbon, mixing adjustments), followed by structural investments (new units, residue destruction lines).

• Ensure transparency and local communication: regular publication, confirmation criteria, and guidance for sensitive populations.

Focus – PANDa+: Continuous Water Monitoring, Anticipating Risks

Developed from Klearia’s expertise in high-precision microfluidics, PANDa+ is a real-time monitoring instrument for micropollutants in water. Automated and intelligent, it integrates seamlessly at all levels of the network: catchments, treatment plants, and wastewater outlets. With continuous analysis technology, PANDa+ detects pollution spikes and water quality variations. It becomes a true decision-support tool for operators, allowing them to act faster and more precisely. These data enhance our understanding of contamination dynamics, inform optimized monitoring plans, and guide corrective actions, such as bypasses, rinsing, or activating complementary treatment units.

By combining microfluidic precision with automated continuous monitoring, PANDa+ transforms water quality management: shifting from reactive to proactive surveillance that is faster, more accurate, and fully traceable. PFAS present new challenges for environmental monitoring: they are diffuse, persistent, and often detectable at extremely low concentrations. In facing these emerging pollutants, the ability to measure, track, and understand them continuously becomes essential. PANDa+ fits squarely within this dynamic, a technology serving safer water, faster action, and the transition toward intelligent environmental monitoring.