Öko‑Test flags arsenic and PFAS in German mineral‑water brands

Consumer‑magazine Öko‑Test evaluated 56 medium‑mineral‑water products. Forty brands received a “very good” rating, including Vilsa, Adelholzener, Gerolsteiner and Lidl’s Saskia.

One brand, Bad Harzburger Medium, failed because laboratory analysis detected arsenic at more than half the permissible limit and elevated levels of the PFAS‑related substance trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). Two other brands also showed PFAS traces, and several products contained pesticide‑degradation residues and sweeteners. Öko‑Test noted that twelve water brands did not fully meet the “original purity” claim required for mineral water, citing the presence of substances it considers inconsistent with natural purity. While overall quality has improved compared with earlier tests, the findings raise ongoing concerns about chronic exposure to PFAS and other contaminants in bottled mineral water.