Bosanac: Study confirms presence of PFAS in the blood of Croatian participants

‍Bosanac announced that, due to these findings, he will call for the establishment of a national PFAS screening programme, to be funded by EU resources

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Brussels, October 1, 2026 - "Out of ten Croatian citizens who provided blood for a European study on the most well-known PFAS compounds, six were found to have elevated reference values of these health-hazardous compounds, and among the seven residents of Gospić who participated in the study, five had elevated levels. Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), a compound from the PFAS group, was found in all 110 people tested in the EU.", revealed today Gordan Bosanac, Možemo! Member of the European Parliament.

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At a press conference, Bosanac, along with his colleagues from the Greens/EFA group, Italian MEP Cristina Guarda, and toxicologist Professor Marjorie Van Duursen, PhD, presented the results of the study on the presence of PFAS in blood.

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Prof. Van Duursen emphasized that the levels of TFA are the highest ever recorded in humans - 4.5 times higher than those recorded in previous studies - and warned of the necessity to continue testing EU citizens for PFAS to find ways to protect public health.

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The testing, organized by the Greens/EFA group, of which Bosanac is a member, covered 110 people in nine European countries, including ten people from Croatia: seven from Gospić, two from Knin, and one from Pula. In all 110 people tested in the EU trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), a compound from the PFAS group, was found. High levels of four long-chain PFAS compounds were also identified in the tested individuals from Croatia.

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"The result is a clear reality: forever chemicals are in our blood. We tested 110 people in nine European countries and found TFA in every single person - the smallest and most persistent compound in the PFAS group, a substance classified by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) as toxic to reproduction", Bosanac pointed out.

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Although this study is not representative due to the small sample size and the participants' exposure cannot be linked to any specific source, it serves as a loud alarm for human health and the environment.

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“Given these alarming results, I will call for EU-level funding for testing that would cover a much larger number of citizens and provide representative results. Croatia must establish a national screening program for PFAS compounds, which should be financed by EU funds. Other EU member states should also introduce such programs so that we can have representative and comparable data, and obtain realistic indicators of the impact of PFAS on human health”, said Bosanac.

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Bosanac added that there is only one solution: “We must ban PFAS compounds, and the phase-out of their production and use must be planned, supported, and implemented as soon as possible. We can no longer wait, nor can we afford to continue being the ones who pay the price.” If the Commission and member states vote against a PFAS ban, they will be directly responsible for crimes against the environment and public health. 

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Furthermore, the biggest polluters are primarily chemical companies and they must bear the costs of cleaning up the contamination. Estimates suggest that the costs of cleanup and water treatment could reach 1.7 trillion euros. Today, taxpayers, water utility companies, farmers, and affected communities are paying for pollution they did not cause. 

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The Greens therefore demand a general ban on PFAS in the EU and advocate for the “polluter pays” principle for the remediation of all sites contaminated with PFAS. 

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“In addition, now is the opportunity to ban the inclusion of PFAS in new products and packaging through the new revision of the REACH chemicals regulation. But it is not enough to just ban the creation of new PFAS. These are forever chemicals that will not disappear on their own. At the EU level, we need a strategy to combat PFAS waste - how we dispose of and treat this waste and how we ensure it does not penetrate nature and pollute our environment and communities,” he pointed out. 

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The case of the illegal disposal of 37,000 tons of hazardous waste in Gospić, where analyses confirmed the presence of PFAS compounds in groundwater, proves the necessity of establishing a European remediation system. At the request of Bosanac and the Greens group, the European Parliament discussed the dangers of PFAS compounds to human health two weeks ago. Colleagues in the EP recognized the importance of the ecocide in Gospić as an example of institutional inefficiency in environmental protection, and the message from Health Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi that the Commission is ready to assist member states in disposing of toxic waste and combating cross-border economic crime was also significant. 

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Guarda emphasized that she brought 30 women, mothers, and pregnant women to Brussels for testing, as they pay the highest price for pollution they are not responsible for. She stated that it is time for a PFAS ban and to stop the production of new products containing PFAS: “If the Commission and member states vote against the ban, they will be complicit in a crime against human health and nature”. 

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The testing for PFAS was initiated and conducted this summer following the latest EU research, which revealed alarming data regarding contamination by PFAS, better known as "forever chemicals," and their significant impact on human health and the environment.

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Find the research at this link.

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Instagram post. Facebook post.

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Video statement by the representative.

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What are PFAS substances and why are they dangerous?

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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), known as "forever chemicals," are a group of substances that are extremely difficult to break down in the environment and the human body. Due to their persistence, even low but long-term exposure leads to accumulation in the body, which poses a long-term health risk.

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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) - also known as "forever chemicals" - have attracted increasing attention over the last two decades due to growing awareness of their negative impacts on human health and the environment.

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PFAS substances have the ability to bioaccumulate in humans and wildlife, high mobility (they can move through the environment and contaminate drinking water sources), the potential for long-range transport (they can contaminate areas far from the source of emission), accumulation in plants (they can contaminate food sources), and (eco)toxicological effects that can impact humans and the environment.

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Key health risks

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Scientific research links PFAS exposure to the following conditions:

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• Oncological risks: Increased risk of kidney, testicular, and liver cancer.
• Immune system: Reduced resistance to infections and a weaker response to vaccination.
• Reproductive health and development: Fertility issues, pregnancy complications (preeclampsia), and developmental delays in children.
• Hormonal and metabolic disorders: Thyroid disease, elevated cholesterol, and a higher risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
• Organ damage: Toxic effects on the liver and reduced kidney function.

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The main sources of exposure are:

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• Food and water: Consumption of contaminated food and water.
• Consumer products: Items with protective coatings (stain-resistant, water-repellent, non-stick coatings, e.g., cookware).
• Work environment: Increased risk for workers in manufacturing, chemical processing, and firefighting.

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What is the broader health and economic impact of failing to address the PFAS problem in the EU?

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A study published by the European Commission in January 2026 reveals the following:

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• about 86% of the population in the European Economic Area (EEA) has been exposed to background levels of PFAS
• 14% of the population lived in areas of elevated exposure, primarily near industrial sites that produce or use PFAS

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The analysis of health effects focused on four well-researched PFAS compounds (PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, and PFNA). 

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• For 2024, it is estimated that exposure to these compounds causes approximately 169,600 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and about 1,050 statistical deaths annually in the EEA. 

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• The economic cost of these health consequences is estimated at 39.5 billion euros per year

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• additional costs for soil remediation and water purification amount to approximately 3.8 billion euros per year 

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• The total estimated cost of PFAS pollution therefore exceeds 43 billion euros annually, with the authors emphasizing that this is a conservative estimate as it covers only four PFAS compounds out of the thousands that exist.

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PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) contamination significantly impacts human health and the environment

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• Over 23,000 confirmed contamination sites and more than 21,000 suspected locations across Europe. [1, 2]
• Threats to water: According to reports from the European Environment Agency (EEA), permitted levels of PFAS (particularly the compound PFOS) have been exceeded in as many as 51–60% of tested European rivers, as well as in a large percentage of lakes and coastal waters. It is estimated that about 12.5 million Europeans live in communities with drinking water contaminated by PFAS. [1, 2, 3]
• Exposure through food and products: PFAS is widely used in food packaging, cosmetics, waterproof clothing, non-stick cookware coatings, and even some pesticides used on crops. As a result, people are unknowingly ingesting these compounds through fruits, vegetables, and meat. [1, 2, 3]

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