A first-of-its-kind mapping in Europe has revealed that pollutants known as “forever chemicals” have been found at high levels at thousands of sites across the UK and Europe. These “forever chemicals” which are also known as per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have a property of not breaking down in the environment and may cause potential harm when accumulated in the body.
The map demonstrates a family of about 10,000 chemicals which have permeated into water, soils and sediments finding their way through consumer products, waste, firefighting foams, and industrial processes. The project data also brings to light that these PFAS chemicals have been detected in high levels at over 17,000 sites across Europe and the UK.
Two of these pollutants, PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate) and PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid), have been connected to a slew of health issues. While PFOA has been linked to causing kidney and testicular cancer, pregnancy-induced hypertension, thyroid disease, ulcerative colitis and high cholesterol, PFOS, on the other hand, has been linked with thyroid disease, reproductive, developmental, liver and kidney ailments.
“These sorts of concentrations raise concerns with me,” said Prof Crispin Halsall, an environmental chemist at Lancaster University.
“You have the risk of livestock gaining access to those waters and (then PFAS is) in the human food web.” Halsall says there are also risks involving people “accessing wildlife as food sources like fishing and wildfowl”.
Belgium was found to be home to the highest levels of pollution. The country was detected to have PFAS in groundwater at concentrations up to 73m ng/l. In the UK, the highest levels of PFAS were found in a discharge from a chemicals plant on the River Wyre, above Blackpool.
Earlier, a report published by Environmental Working Group (EWG) suggested that pollution from the “forever chemicals” has contaminated over 330 other species of wildlife around the world, some endangered or threatened. The report added that the pollutant has contaminated polar bears, tigers, monkeys, pandas, dolphins and fish. EWG is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organisation dedicated to helping you live your healthiest life.
The organisation created a map that, for the first time, consolidates over 100 recent studies of PFAS contamination. It revealed where species have been tested and detectable amounts of forever chemicals have been documented.
It added that from country to country, and even across continents, PFAS pollution is everywhere.
“No matter the location, no matter the species, nearly every time that testing is done we find contamination from these toxic chemicals. And the EWG map reflects just what we know now – given the extent of PFAS pollution, wildlife in many other locations around the world are likely contaminated,” the report said.
(With inputs from agencies)
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