Scientists have found high levels of toxic Pfas, or the “forever chemical”, in the soil, water and throughout the marine food chain, including conservation sites in the UK’s Solent Strait, according to a new study.
In some samples, the pollution was 13 times higher than the safe standard for coastal waters. Other chemicals were below legal limits for individual chemicals but failed tests for combined toxicity.
The samples were taken from the Solent Strait, which flows between the Isle of Wight and the mainland and forms part of the Strait. The chemicals are believed to have entered the environment from sewage treatment plants, sewage spills, historic landfills, and nearby military installations.
Researchers said the findings highlight the need to monitor chemical combinations and make a complete ban on Pfas part of the government’s water reform agenda.
Professor Alex Ford, a biologist at the University of Portsmouth and one of the study’s authors, said: “If there was an oil spill in the Solent, industry would have to pay for habitat restoration, but that doesn’t happen with sewage.
But, he added, “This is one thing I don’t necessarily blame the water companies because they don’t have the capacity to treat these compounds. That’s why they should be banned from the water source.”
Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (Pfas) are a class of chemicals used in a variety of industrial and household products such as nonstick cookware, food packaging, and waterproof clothing because of their long-term qualities.
These are often known as “forever chemicals” because they do not break down easily and have been linked by scientists to a variety of diseases in humans and wildlife.
A sewage discharge pipe at Eastney Beach, Portsmouth. Because water utilities cannot remove Pfas, the EU has imposed a total ban. Britain said it would consult on setting limits. Photo: Alamy
The researchers analyzed government data, tests at water utilities, and unique samples from more than a dozen species of fish, seaweed, and invertebrates. They found that PFA was entering the Solent in treated wastewater from Portsmouth and Fareham sewage treatment plants run by utility company Southern Water, which provides drinking water and sewage to Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
The study also mapped 194 combined sewer overflows and more than 500 nearby historic landfills that researchers believe may be contributing to contamination.
Some samples taken from marine wildlife, such as porpoise liver, contained individual chemicals that exceeded existing safe legal standards. Far more failed a new European Union test on combined toxicity that assessed the relative potency of Pfas in combination.
All but seven of the UK’s surface waters tested failed the combined test, as did many of Scotland’s remote lochs and ponds.
“I don’t think our story is unique to Sorento,” Ford said. “I think we’re going to see this pattern across the UK.”
A spokesperson for Southern Water agreed that new legislation was needed to “restrict or ban certain chemicals”.
“Addressing the presence of these chemicals is a challenge for society as a whole,” they said. “The most sustainable solution is to solve the problem at its root and eliminate it (chemicals) from pipes and the environment first.”
Despite Pfas’ persistence in the environment, there is evidence that limiting its use may be effective.
The EU is moving towards a complete ban on Pfas, with perhaps some exceptions for medicines and other important uses. When its own Pfas plan was announced in February, the UK government said it would consult on setting limits for the chemical and carry out further testing, promising a “framework to understand where these chemicals come from, how they spread and how to reduce exposure to the public and the environment”.
But the Marine Conservation Society, which funded the Solent research, said: “We need to go further and faster.”
“Planning alone is not enough,” says Callum Duncan, head of policy at the environmental charity. “We need to act quickly and we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to implement a water reform process.”
