World Water Day

Tomorrow, March 22, 2025, is World Water Day.

An opportunity to remind everyone that our vital resource is threatened by emerging contaminants, particularly PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated compounds). These eternal pollutants don’t just persist in the environment: They also affect our health!

What do we know about PFAS?

• Liver, immune and carcinogenic toxicity (depending on the compounds)
• Endocrine disruptors: impact on fertility, development and metabolism
• Effects at very low concentrations, requiring suitable treatment solutions

At SPUMA, we conducted a study in collaboration with the WatchFrog Laboratory to better understand their endocrine impact. Using an innovative method (tadpoles and fry emitting fluorescence in the event of hormonal disruption), we highlighted:

• Antithyroid activity ➡️ impact on metabolism, growth and the nervous system
• Strong pro-androgenic activity ➡️ hormonal disorders, masculinization and decreased fertility

📢 It’s time to act!
Unlike traditional pollutants, endocrine disruptors have harmful effects even at very low doses. Our work paves the way for new detection and treatment approaches to better protect our water.