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Government plans increased testing for ‘forever chemicals’

The UK government has launched the first-ever national PFAS plan to tackle so-called ‘forever chemicals’, which have prompted environmental and health concerns.

Introducing the plan, Emma Hardy, the Minister for Water and Flooding, said PFAS posed “a long-term challenge for not only our health, but that of the nation’s vital ecosystems”, adding that the government would “act decisively to reduce their harmful effects”.

Measures include the launch of a consultation on setting a statutory limit for PFAS in England’s public supply regulations, more testing and monitoring of England’s estuaries and coastal waters, tests on food packaging to ascertain whether they contain PFAS and the publication of a website “to raise the public’s awareness and understanding”.

PFAS environment and health concerns

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are used in many everyday products owing to their indestructible and non-stick properties. This ranges from school uniforms and medication casings to fire foam and hydrogen production.

The chemicals can leak out into the environment from manufacturing, washing clothes or products with PFAS, as well as from the spread of waste sludge from water treatment works onto agricultural fields. As a result, PFAS have become ubiquitous in the environment and in our bodies, where they bioaccumulate.

Growing evidence shows their persistence creates long-term risks for both people and ecosystems, with a small number of PFAS known to be toxic. Earlier this year the World Health Organisation raised significant concerns about two forever chemicals that were previously the most widely used. It classified PFOA as carcinogenic, and PFOS as possibly carcinogenic – linked to increasing the risk of thyroid, testicular and kidney cancers. Both substances are already banned in the UK.

Drinking water limits under consultation

Research last year found that almost all English waters had Pfas levels above proposed safety limits. Dolphins, otters, porpoises, fish and birds across the UK have been found to have the chemicals in their tissue and organs.

While the Government has stated the UK currently has “one of the highest quality drinking water supplies in the world”, ministers confirmed a consultation will be launched later this year on introducing a statutory limit for PFAS in England’s public supply regulations.

First assessment of coastal contamination

The government will also assess the full extent of PFAS contamination in England’s estuaries and coastal waters for the first time, with improved monitoring of sediment and invertebrates to strengthen the evidence base for future action.

Environment Agency Chief Executive Philip Duffy added:

“The Environment Agency is playing a vital part in tackling the challenge of PFAS. Through our monitoring programmes, risk screening work, regulatory expertise and assessment of evidence, we are helping to inform the public and stakeholders about our work to protect the environment from the risks posed by PFAS. We will play a critical role in delivering the Government’s PFAS Plan, building on the work we have undertaken in recent years.”

The number of water samples tested for PFAS will be increased by 50% across Scotland and Wales, whilst animals in coastal areas of England and soils in five priority areas will be tested to identify hotspots.

As well as more testing, the government also wants to raise public awareness by launching a website dedicated to information on the chemicals. The Government said it will work closely with regulators and industry on a “science-based and proportionate approach” to minimise PFAS risks to public health, the environment and future generations.

Closer alignment with the EU

The announcement follows new EU drinking water regulations that were introduced just weeks ago under the recast Drinking Water Directive, requiring mandatory monitoring of PFAS contamination across all Member States and reporting results to the European Commission. The government says that by 2029 it wants to align more closely with regulations issued by the EU, which is looking to prohibit all non-essential uses.

Campaigners warn current plan risks locking in decades of harms

Campaigners have reportedly described the plan as “incredibly weak”. In particular, they criticised its failure to match tough action taken in Europe, where national governments are already banning chemicals on the grounds of public safety before EU-wide action.

Chloe Alexander, chemicals policy lead at Wildlife and Countryside Link, described the document as a “crushingly disappointing framework that ducks the hard decisions”. She said the measures fell far short of plans in Denmark and France, which have already banned Pfas in some consumer products – including clothes and cosmetics – and taken action to clean up contaminated sites. Moves are already under way at the EU level to impose a bloc-wide restriction on their use.

Professor Patrick Byrne reader in hydrology and environmental pollution at Liverpool John Moores University has warned “Simply measuring Pfas concentrations, or increasing monitoring as the plan suggests, won’t solve this problem. What we need instead is to measure Pfas loads – the total amount released from different industries and contaminated sites. This allows us to identify the biggest polluters and target cleanup efforts where they will have the greatest impact.”