A long term study into widespread illness in Germany recently revealed it found high amounts of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) in every single subject participating in the research. In all, 150 participants were tested, aged between 20 and 69 years old. TFA was found at a median concentration of 21.22 nanograms per milliliter, a level the report describes as among the highest yet measured in humans.
The study, part of the German National Cohort (NAKO Gesundheitsstudie), additionally found older participants had higher TFA levels than younger ones. Researchers also found that TFA exposure in the participants had increased over time, rising by an average of 1.6-fold over a period of about five years.
TFA is a short-chain PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) and a breakdown product of PFAS containing -CF3, including PFAS pesticides. Certain levels are shown to impact early-life development, thyroid function and to a lesser extent, fertility. In fact, in June 2026, experts from the European Chemicals Agency recommended that TFA be classified, amongst other things, as toxic to reproduction.
PFAS are very persistent and take generations to break down in the environment. That is why they are also referred to as the ‘forever chemicals’. In addition to the dangers already mentioned, exposure to some PFAS has been linked with numerous other adverse health impacts, with multiple types of cancers and the disruption of the immune system being of particular note.
PFAS pesticides are a significant source of TFA in water and food, as TFA is released directly into soil, food crops and groundwater. Currently, there are about 30 PFAS pesticide substances on the market and hundreds of pesticide products that contain them; almost all can break down to TFA. Under the current EU law on pesticides, these substances could and should be banned immediately.
Other studies around the world testing for TFA have found similar results. PAN Europe cited a study in China that found TFA in 97% of 252 adults, with a median of 8.5 ng/mL. A U.S. study detected it in 74% of 81 adults and reported a median of 6 ng/L, while research from North Carolina reported a median TFA level of 17 ng/mL. It also cited the Norwegian EuroMix cohort, where the median was 6.22 ng/mL for participants not using fluoxetine and 27.7 ng/mL for users of the fluorinated pharmaceutical.
PAN Europe is calling for action. Angeliki Lysimachou, the organization's Head of Science and Policy, said, "This widespread contamination with TFA must sound the alarm. TFA is highly persistent, mobile, and toxic, and we know if continuous exposure reaches certain levels, it can affect human development, including during the earliest stages of life in the womb. Yet as we continue to release TFA into the environment, contamination levels keep rising. It is incomprehensible that EU governments and the European Commission are still failing to urgently act to stop the use of PFAS pesticides that release TFA."
In addition to TFA, the German study also detected another short-chain PFAS in urine for the first time, namely trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (TFMS). It was found in 73 % of the samples. TFMS is used in lithium-ion batteries, amongst other uses. So far, relatively little is known about this particular chemical. There is initial toxicological data suggesting this substance could also have adverse effects on health, for example: on liver function and gut flora.
In the US, a 2021 statement from the EPA specifically excluded classifying TFA as a PFAS but as of this writing, the EPA did recently propose monitoring requirements for it in drinking water.
