The spread of PFAS, now present everywhere in the environment and on our tables, continues to be a cause for concern (and not a little). In recent months Greenpeace had already denounced the presence of “eternal pollutants” in drinking water in Italy, publishing the first national map of contamination.
The survey, conducted between September and October 2024 on 260 samples of water taken mainly from public fountains in 235 municipalities, showed that 79% tested positive for these substances, with worrying levels especially in Lombardy, Piedmont, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany and Sardinia.
Now the same organization wanted to take a further step, verifying the situation of bottled mineral waters. For this purpose, 16 samples belonging to the 8 most popular brands in our country were purchased in a supermarket in Rome. The bottles were analyzed in two different laboratories, one in Germany and one in Italy, so as to have no doubts about the results.
As Greenpeace reminds us, PFAS are:
poly- and per-fluoroalkyl substances used in consumer products for their water and oil-repellent properties. Convenient, yes, but extremely dangerous: not only do they accumulate in the environment without degrading, but they have long been associated with serious health risks (liver damage, problems with the endocrine system and thyroid, alterations of the immune system, kidney and testicular tumors, infertility and diabetes).
Brands of mineral water with or without PFAS
The following waters were tested:
Ferrarelle and San Benedetto Naturale were the only ones without detectable PFAS (below 50 ng/L).
The presence of TFA was instead found in the other six brands. The highest values were found in:
Followed by Rocchetta, San Pellegrino and Uliveto, all however contaminated.
The substance detected is trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), the most widespread PFAS in the world, known for its extreme persistence and potential health risks.
Curious to know how companies reacted to these results? As Greenpeace says, there was total silence:
After our discovery, we contacted the brands to ask for clarification: however, none of the companies contacted wanted to comment.
What is TFA and why is it dangerous
TFA (trifluoroacetic acid) belongs to the large family of PFAS. It is a substance characterized by extreme persistence and mobility: it does not degrade in nature and can accumulate in living organisms. The German authorities consider it toxic for reproduction, so much so that Germany has asked ECHA (the European Chemicals Agency) to officially classify it as a “relevant metabolite” of plant protection products.
The most serious problem is its global spread: TFA has been detected in soil, water, living organisms and even human blood, including that of some EU politicians. Given this widespread presence, it is not at all surprising that the substance is now also found in bottled mineral waters, confirming how widespread and difficult it is to contain.
Towards a zero-PFAS law
In March 2025, the Council of Ministers approved a decree to lower the limits of PFAS in drinking water and introduce specific restrictions for TFA. The provision, however, has yet to be converted into law and does not address the central issue: although the risks are now known, the production and use of PFAS continues undisturbed.
European directive 2020/2184, which will only come into force in 2026, provides limits for PFAS in drinking water, but many experts consider them too high and therefore not effective compared to what has already been established by countries such as Germany, Denmark and the United States.
Lowering the limits is a step in the right direction, but it’s not enough. As long as PFAS are produced and used on a large scale, they will inevitably end up in the environment and the water we drink.
This is why Greenpeace is calling for a zero-PFAS law (there is also an active petition that you can sign HERE), which completely bans the production and use of these substances, replacing them with safer alternatives. Only in this way will it be possible to truly protect people’s health and reduce pollution.
