High Levels of Forever Chemicals Found Along Stretch of UK Coastline

A new study has found PFAS in the waters, wildlife, and seabed of the Solent, a stretch of water between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight. The researchers suggest the pollution is coming from multiple sources, including wastewater treatment plants and historic landfill sites. The study highlights the need for better regulation of forever chemicals, and the need to consider mixtures of multiple chemicals.

The study, conducted by the University of Portsmouth and the Marine Conservation Society, found high levels of PFAS in the Solent. The Solent is of high ecological and conservation value and contains sites of special scientific interest (SSSI).

PFAS are a group of around 10,000 chemicals often referred to as ‘forever chemicals’ as they are highly persistent and take generations to break down in the environment. Exposure to some PFAS has been linked with adverse health impacts, including certain cancers, reduced fertility, and the disruption of the immune system.

The researchers examined existing monitoring data as well as new samples from the Solent. They found PFAS in the water, wildlife, and seabed of the Solent. At the sample sites tested, levels of PFOS, a type of PFAS, were 13 times higher than the UK and EU standard set for coastal waters. PFOS is classified by the World Health Organisation as possibly cancer-causing, and was restricted globally in 2009.