Image description: Water cascading down rocks. Photo by Gary Yost on Unsplash.

A new £2 million research initiative has been launched to investigate the growing threat of so-called “forever chemicals” in UK rivers and their impact on wildlife.

The project, titled UNSaFE (UNderstanding the Scale, Sources, Fate and Effects of PFAS pollution), is funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and led by Imperial College London in collaboration with King’s College London, Brunel University London, and the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.

The research will focus on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of synthetic chemicals used in a wide range of industrial and consumer products. These substances are known for their persistence in the environment and resistance to natural degradation. According to the project team, only 63 of an estimated 15,000 PFAS compounds have been detected globally, leaving significant gaps in understanding their full environmental impact.

Professor Christer Hogstrand of King’s College London said the project aims to address these knowledge gaps by developing new laboratory testing methods and applying advanced techniques such as multi-omics to assess how PFAS accumulate in aquatic organisms and affect ecosystems. “This is an important step towards safeguarding our waters for future generations,” he stated.

The project will also co-develop a national PFAS monitoring programme in partnership with the Environment Agency and citizen science groups such as Earthwatch. Over 3,000 people are expected to participate in “Water Blitz” events, contributing local data to help map contamination levels across the UK.

Dr Luigi Margiotta-Casaluci, Senior Lecturer in Mechanistic & Translational Toxicology at King’s, said the team will use artificial intelligence and high-resolution mass spectrometry to better understand how PFAS cause harm. “We are developing next-generation predictive methods powered by AI to decode the adverse health effects of chemicals and drugs in ways not previously possible,” he said.

The UNSaFE project is expected to provide regulators and policymakers with the tools and evidence needed to assess PFAS risks and take action to protect both environmental and human health.