Fifty-nine leading scientists from around the world have sent a letter to the UK Government urging it to take a more ambitious approach to regulating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as the forever chemicals, than the previous government.
The letter emphasises the severity of PFAS pollution in the UK, highlighting that the substances have been found in the population’s blood, in our drinking water, in animals such as fish and otters, and in supermarket food.
The scientists also detail their concerns about plans published by the previous government to tackle PFAS. These include fears that the cancer risk of PFAS substances is not sufficiently represented and that a more precautionary approach to protecting human health is needed.
The letter also identifies loopholes in government plans to exempt certain PFAS (some flouropolymers) from restrictions. They underline concerning pollution data from these substances emitted into a UK river and argue they pose an unacceptable risk to human health and the environment.
The scientists emphasise that the previous government’s approach to tackling just a few hundred PFAS ‘will not tackle the scale of pollution we face from these chemicals, especially as new PFAS continue to be invented’. They call for the new government to ‘follow the science that indicates a broad grouping approach based on persistence is the most effective solution to controlling PFAS pollution.’
In addition, with viable alternatives to PFAS already available for most sectors, the experts also call on the government to regulate all PFAS as a group to stimulate further development of safer alternatives.
Scientific experts in PFAS
The 59 signatories are experts in PFAS, specialists in epidemiology, toxicology and environmental chemistry from across the UK and around the world.
Professor Ian Cousins, from Stockholm University, said “The UK should follow Sweden, and the rest of Europe, in ‘turning off the tap’ of PFAS pollution by enacting a broad restriction of all non-essential PFAS uses.”
Associate Professor Tony Fletcher, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said “I am worried that the effect of Brexit might lead to Britain lagging behind environmental improvements at EU level. In the case of PFAS regulation, the EU has some good proposals for regulating them all. We should be as good as that, if not better, and this letter is making the case.
We can do at least as well as the EU proposals. I would be very disappointed if Brexit appeared to lead to worse environments for us, than being part of the EU.”
Dr Fletcher and fellow signatory Professor Kyle Steenland were members of the C8 Science Panel (featured in the film Dark Waters) that discovered the link between PFOA and several diseases, including kidney and testicular cancer. Other signatories include Dr Martin Scheringer, Chair of the International Panel on Chemical Pollution, and three board members from this new UN body, which will act as an equivalent to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change regarding chemical pollution.
Widespread PFAS pollution
The letter comes at a time when investigations have uncovered PFAS pollution across the country, including in the small market town of Bentham in Yorkshire, which was found to have the UK’s highest known concentrations of PFAS in its groundwater. In Lancashire, residents near a chemical plant have been advised to wash and peel vegetables grown in their gardens before eating them, while an investigation is underway into whether soil in the area has been contaminated with PFOA.
A recent report from the Environment Agency identified up to 10,000 “high-risk sites” of contamination across the UK. The costs of remediation for these sites are estimated at £121 billion.
The UK continues to fall behind EU protections
A recent analysis by CHEM Trust highlights that the regulatory gap between EU and UK protections on the harmful ‘forever chemicals’ PFAS is significant and growing.
However, further analysis shows that UK-EU divergence on chemicals also extends much further. The UK’s system for regulating chemicals is being eroded by weakening its chemical safety rules and processes.While the EU continues to make progress in improving its chemicals regulatory system and controlling harmful chemicals, the UK is moving more slowly and taking a less protective approach.
Dr Shubhi Sharma at CHEM Trust, said:
“We very much welcome this letter from the scientific community calling for the UK government to strengthen action on toxic forever chemicals. Global scientists understand the threat that these chemicalsposeto our health and wildlife and know how urgent it is to speed up regulation to address their costly pollution burden.
The new government has inherited a toxic legacy but can now right this wrong. We hope this letter encourages them to ban the use and manufacture of these chemicals as a group and be at the forefront of a global PFAS-free economy.”
This letter has been covered by various media outlets, including The Independent and Yahoo.
Read more on PFAS here.
