Used in industry since the 1950s, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are now detected everywhere on the planet. Considered “eternal pollutants” due to their extreme persistence in the environment, these thousands of chemical compounds are used – among other things – for their non-stick and waterproofing properties. Could these substances spare La Rochelle? No, now say the activists of Europe Écologie Les Verts (EELV).
“These compounds are not sufficiently researched”
On March 1, they took drinking water from the fountain in Square Bobinec with the intention of measuring the possible presence of PFAS. The results are in: the 20 substances searched for by an independent laboratory have… all been detected. These same compounds are governed by a European directive dating from 2020 setting their maximum levels in water intended for human consumption. Nineteen of them were measured in La Rochelle at levels less than or equal to 0.001 micrograms per liter. The twentieth was measured at less than 0.0074 micrograms per liter. This is perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), a substance classified as "probable carcinogen" and banned in Europe since 2009. This water, coming exclusively from the Charente river since the closure of the various catchments in La Rochelle, therefore remains fully compliant with the current standards. The sum of the 20 PFAS substances deemed “of concern” must not exceed 0.10 micrograms per liter.
Environmental activists wanted to demonstrate the omnipresence of PFAS – even at minute levels – while EELV MP Nicolas Thierry is currently carrying out legislative work to ban the use of PFAS in certain industrial areas. “Our concern is the accumulation of these compounds, 100% of the population is exposed,” says EELV departmental advisor Jean-Marc Soubeste. “PFAS substances are present in water but also in the air, soil and in the blood of our fellow citizens. What worries us is the lack of transparency. These compounds are not sufficiently researched,” adds Katia Bourdin, EELV regional advisor.
The 20 PFAS substances “selected by the European Union” will only be definitively integrated into the “routine health control” of drinking water from January 1, 2026, recall the Regional Health Agencies (ARS) . Contacted by “Today in France” - “Le Parisien”, the Eau 17 union, which treats and delivers drinking water to 432 municipalities in Charente-Maritime, indicates that it does not have filtration systems for PFAS substances at the 'actual hour. Analyzes would have been undertaken to quantify the presence of these compounds in the department.