PFAS and microplastic pollution threaten European rivers and beaches

On 3 November 2025, a round‑table titled “Gewässer in Gefahr” was held in Hamburg, Germany, to discuss persistent water pollutants such as microplastics, pharmaceutical residues, fertilizers and pesticides. Speakers included Cornelia Kienle, Kim Augustin of Hamburg Wasser, and environmental lawyer Wolfgang Köck from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), who examined technological and regulatory measures needed to curb contamination and protect human health.

A separate study released on 3 July 2026 by Surfrider Foundation Europe surveyed French bathing waters and found widespread PFAS contamination. Analysis of 107 samples from 80 coastal and 27 inland sites revealed that two beaches in Loire‑Atlantique – Saint‑Nazaire’s Grande Plage and the Poilus beach at Saint‑Brévin‑les‑Pins – exceeded the EU‑mandated PFOS limit of 0.13 ng/L, registering 1.4 ng/L and 1.1 ng/L respectively. The sites were classified as “poor chemical status” but remained below the Dutch guideline of 280 ng toxic‑equivalent per litre. The laboratory Eurofins performed the testing, detecting ten distinct PFAS compounds at each location.