Image description: Water droplet hitting the surface of water and rippling out. Image by Claudia from Pixabay 

POST releases updated report 

POST, the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, published a POSTnote on Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The report characterises the issues with PFAS, including the uses, environmental impacts, and opportunities for innovation in monitoring, remediation, and alternatives development.  

Defra takes new position on PMT and yPyM substances 

The government’s environment body Defra released a new position on PMT and vPvM substances (persistent, mobile, and toxic/very persistent, very mobile), which lays out the government’s approach managing substances like PFAS. The emphasis of the paper lies in ensuring regulatory flexibility and timely action in the face of scientific uncertainty. This reinforces a commitment to applying the precautionary principle, which means that a lack of scientific certainty should not delay action or regulation when there are potential severe and irreversible consequences, which may be indicated based on properties like persistence and mobility. This also brings the UK closer to the EU’s regulatory approach, which may smooth the way to more alignment on chemicals regulation. 

The shocking story from a small town in Sweden 

The Guardian has covered the story of Ronneby, a small town in Sweden with one of the highest PFAS pollution levels ever discovered.