A major study into tap water quality across France found that more than two in five samples were contaminated with ‘forever chemicals’ which could have a negative effect on public health.
Investigative journalists at Radio France and France Bleu tested 89 samples of tap water, and found that 43% of them contained ‘PFAS’, or ‘per and poly fluoro alkylates’. These are chemical molecules that have been found to accumulate in the body and cause health problems.
The investigative teams at each of France Bleu’s 44 local radio stations took at least two local samples.
The samples were taken from points based on:
The station’s population catchment area
Locations where PFAS in water sources is already known, due to work by food safety authority Anses
The proximity to places that could present risk, such as airports, fire stations, paper mills, and waste treatment centres
The samples were then sent to the IANESCO laboratory in Poitiers (Vienne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine), which is accredited to analyse PFAS in tap water.
"Our journalists identified possible locations, took samples and sent them back in accordance with the rules. This is real investigative work, not just laboratory work,” said Matthieu Mondoloni, news director at France Bleu.
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‘Cause for concern’
Of 89 total tap water samples, 43% were found to contain PFAS, of which 27 samples had PFAS that are banned or classified as carcinogenic. Five samples gave “cause for concern”, the study said. These are in:
In countries with stricter laws on tap water - such as Denmark and the United States - these five samples would be considered abnormal.
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Three samples exceeded the French limits. They were:
Cognac (Charente)
PFAS levels in Cognac reached 187 nanograms per litre, nearly double the permitted limit. Yet, residents had not been issued with any warnings.
Mickael Villéger, vice-president of Grand Cognac, said that previous analysis had found “no PFAS”, but in July 2024, regional health agency the ARS said there had been contamination concerns.
A paper mill, a former metal plant, and a fire brigade training centre along the River Charente are thought to be potential sources. The former metal plant owner, Naval Group, said it was undertaking its own surveillance plan into the issue.
Martres-Tolosane (Haute-Garonne)
The sample collected showed 100.2 nanograms per litre of tap water, and contained eight different PFAS molecules. When he learned of the result, mayor of the commune Loïc Gojard said he was surprised.
“We are just a little above the standard [that will be in place in 2026], “he said. “We need to continue the analyses with the ARS to see how we can further improve the quality of the water.”
Possible explanations for contamination in Martres-Tolosane include chemical industries located downstream from the town, including BASF and the Fibre Excellence pulp mill in Saint-Gaudens, and a sewage plant that spreads sludge on the local farmland.
BASF and Fibre Excellence have both submitted samples to authorities, which were found to have low levels of PFAS discharges, meaning the muck spreading appears to be a more probable source.
Saint-Symphorien-d'Ozon (Rhône)
Samples had 119.2 nanograms per litre of water. This is thought to be connected to nearby local factories, as well as a fire at the Edouard Herriot port in 1987, which contaminated the land.
Greater Lyon has begun to implement a plan to reduce the level of pollutants, but this is still in progress.
Other municipalities in the Lyon area are facing similar difficulties, said Anne Grosperrin, the elected representative in charge of the water cycle at the Lyon Metropolitan Council.
“We have an action plan that involves changing the filtration systems at our water treatment plant to use activated carbon more often, so our water complies with the standards before 2026,” she said.
Meanwhile, the ARS Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes has said that residents can continue drinking tap water, despite the levels exceeding ideal amounts. The agency added that it was awaiting further guidance from food safety agency Anses and public health authority Haut conseil de santé publique.
For its part, the Direction Générale de la Santé (DGS) has said that reducing contamination must take a case-by-case approach, and said local prefects should retain the authority to implement stricter measures, and require water providers to inform residents of any threshold breaches.
New legislation from 2026
It comes ahead of new legislation, which states that from January 1 2026, local authorities will be required to test their local tap water for the presence of 20 ‘persistent pollutants’. If a certain threshold is breached, authorities will be required to inform residents, and then take action to reduce the pollution.
Already, studies have shown that much of tap water in France has some kind of pollutant. On September 4, 2024, water management company Véolia admitted that it had found around 20 problematic water points, in a preventative test study of more than 2,400 points throughout France. It did not state the towns affected.
FranceInfo states that its investigation with France Bleu “confirms the extent of this PFAS contamination”. It also comes after a map of Europe showing areas contaminated by PFAS appeared on the front page of the newspaper Le Monde on February 23, 2023.‘
PFAS danger
In high enough quantities, exposure to PFAS can lead to health problems, including liver damage, thyroid disease, fertility issues, metabolic problems, a lowered immune system, and cancer.
The chemicals tend to be found in anything that has a waterproof or grease-resistant/fighting element, such as cleaning products, rain jackets, umbrellas and tents, grease-resistant paper, toilet paper, non-stick cookware, shampoo, dental floss, nail polish, eye makeup, and stain-resistant coatings used on fabric.
PFAS have been identified as causing a risk to health and the environment since the early 2000s.
Since then, ministers in France have put an action plan in place, and parliament has debated a bill on whether to ban the use of these molecules from 2025 (except for “essential” uses, such as prosthetics, electric vehicle batteries, etc.) and kitchen utensils.
The discussion was paused by the dissolution of parliament over the summer and has not yet resumed.
