PFAS evidence report explores options for tackling ‘forever chemicals’ problem
Remediation methods capable of combating the ‘forever chemicals’ crisis have been laid out in a new evidence report on PFAS (pictured right).
The unveiling of the document comes just months after we launched a campaign calling for changes to UK regulations of these potentially harmful chemicals.
Prolonged exposure to elevated levels of PFAS can lead to serious health problems, including cancer, defects in unborn children, liver damage and thyroid disease, as well as affecting fertility.
These chemicals are used in a vast range of industries because they are so durable but that strength can also be a problem. Some can take thousands of years to break down in our natural environment – PFAS have even been found in remote locations such as the polar ice caps – and can build up in our bodies.
However, our new evidence report looks at ways to tackle the PFAS problem and addresses three key issues: presence, detection and remediation. The publication was prepared after an extensive review of scientific literature on these three areas, as well as reports from relevant authorities, to tackle the issue of forever chemicals.
The report endeavours to answer three questions in particular:
1. Presence: to what extent are PFAS present in sources of UK water?
2. Detection: what analytical methods exist for detecting PFAS in water?
3. Remediation: what remediation methods exist for the removal of PFAS from water?
The presence portion of the report details many of the findings used in our initial PFAS push, using data from the Forever Pollution Project, Environment Agency and Drinking Water Inspectorate.
Mass spectrometry-based detection techniques and various surrogate indicator methods are discussed in the detection section. This part of the publication also lists some of the advantages and disadvantages of certain targeted and non-targeted approaches as well as challenges of PFAS in water analysis.
Non-destructive methods, such as adsorption (including the use of activated carbon and ion exchange resins) and membrane filtration, are discussed in the final section on remediation. However, details of other more destructive processes offer another path to cleaning up water courses, while the report also explores niche methods, including biodegradation and foam fractionation.
The report aims to contribute to the sound evidence base and inform future policy and decision-making on this important class of chemicals. In fact, the evidence including has been used to inform our policy position on PFAS in UK drinking water.
Our call to clean up PFAS
We’re calling for five simple action points from the UK Government:
1. Reduce the current cap per individual type of PFAS 10-fold from 100 nanograms per litre (ng/L) to 10 ng/L of drinking water.
2. Introduce a cap on the total level of PFAS combined of 100ng/L.
3. Ensure the many hundreds of sources of PFAS are reported and captured in a national inventory.
4. Impose and enforce stricter regulatory limits on allowable levels of PFAS in industrial discharges.
5. Set up a national chemicals regulator to provide better strategic coordination of monitoring and regulation of all chemicals including PFAS.
Our #CleanUpPFAS campaign has inspired hundreds of concerned Britons to write letters to their political representatives urging them to press the UK Government for change. Several politicians have also made their concerns clear by asking questions of those in power, while we continue to push for new PFAS limits as part of an urgent call for action.
More details of our PFAS campaign are available on our dedicated webpage.
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