Scientists appeal for PFAS chemicals to be defined as a class

According to the Green Science Policy Institute, all perfluorinated and polyfluorinated substances, also called PFAS, should be treated as a single class, as well as ‘avoided for non-essential uses’. The idea is supported by a peer-reviewed article in the publication Environmental Science & Technology Letters.

The appeal comes direct from a team of sixteen scientists from universities and other sources. They say the extreme long life and toxicity of PFAS make the traditional management of these chemicals ‘dangerously inadequate’ and believe a class-based system would address the problem, going a long way towards reducing the terrible harm these substances already cause worldwide. 

There are thousands of different PFAS and it’s impossible to assess and manage the risks of them all individually. The appeal includes fluorinated polymers, large molecules that release smaller toxic PFAS and other dangerous substances into the environment over time. Creating a single class of PFAS means the dodgy process of replacing a banned substance with its chemical relative, which is also later banned, will finally be stopped. PFAS are sometimes combined without researching the effects of new combinations, something else that should stop for good when these dangerous chemicals finally fall under the one umbrella.

Some PFAS have been associated with cancer, fertility problems, a disrupted endocrine system and immune system, developmental problems and many more health issues. All this sits against a background where less than one in a hundred PFAS is toxicity tested. At the same time they tend to be ‘extremely persistent’ in the environment and can break down into even more persistent elements.

Cleaning up the existing mess these ‘forever chemicals’ have already left behind will take decades, even centuries. And that means our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren plus every living thing on earth will be left to suffer in future, even if we do the decent thing and reclassify all PFAS immediately.

As Arlene Blum, the Executive Director of the Green Science Policy Institute, says, “The longer we continue the unnecessary use of PFAS, the more likely the overall future harm to our world will rival, or even surpass, that of the coronavirus.” On the bright side, some businesses already take a class-based approach to PFAS and some governments have banned PFAS entirely in some products.

Tree planting boosts the improvement of natural river habitats. River swimmers fall foul of water pollution. Some of the nation’s favourite beaches are slammed for poor water quality. The Wokingham area suffers a really nasty chemical spill. And scientists are trying to persuade businesses and the government to treat PFAS chemicals as a class. It’s all go in our world this week.

Serious chemical spill at Dinton Pastures Country Park, Wokingham

Dinton Pastures Country Park recently gave an urgent warning about a chemical spill in a nearby stream, where a ‘large quantity’ of chemicals leaked into the ground upstream from Dinton. An enormous eight thousand litres of Nutriox were spilled one and a half miles upstream of the Emm Brook at Dinton, dangerous to the eyes and harmful if swallowed. People were advised to rinse their eyes and skin with fresh water if they were affected.

The Environment Agency has confirmed the industrial pollution has been dealt with on the site where it originated and didn’t spill into nearby Emm Brook, nor have they discovered any negative impacts to the environment.

People fall ill after swimming in the River Dee 

You would hope that every river in the nation would be clean enough to swim in safely. But swimmers have been falling ill after swimming in the Sandy Lane area of the River Dee in Chester, near Boughton. Public Health England North West has asked people who have been swimming there and are suffering from ‘diarrhoea, fever or abdominal pain within 10 days of swimming’ to see their doctor. They are also appealing to the public not to swim in the affected area. 

The water pollution problem originates with ongoing work by Public Health England, the Environment Agency, Cheshire West and Chester Council, and Welsh Water, which are all doing their best to manage potential pollution from a privately owned pumping station near Chester.

Is your local beach safe for swimming and paddling?

You would also hope that beaches in the UK would feature clean sea water that’s safe for people to enjoy. But the quality of the sea water around our coast is under question yet again. The Environment Agency has released new, updated insight into the quality of water at beaches across the UK, and the news is not good.

Some beaches have been newly-designated as ‘no go’ swimming zones thanks to poor water quality, some are being worked on to improve things, and in other cases the Agency recommends the public steers clear of the sea during ‘certain times’. If you’d like to know what your local beach’s water quality is like, click here

The Environment Agency offers free trees to fisheries

It’s good to see not far short of 1000 new trees have been planted along rivers in west Norfolk and the Fens, provided free to fisheries by The Environment Agency. Trees play a vital role in improving natural habitats, but they often have to be removed to provide access for flood maintenance and risk initiatives like bank inspections. The extra funding for the free trees comes from the Environment Agency’s flood management team, and they’re appealing to local angling clubs to plant even more new trees along local riverbanks.

Tree planting boosts the improvement of natural river habitats. River swimmers fall foul of water pollution. Some of the nation’s favourite beaches are slammed for poor water quality. The Wokingham area suffers a really nasty chemical spill. And scientists are trying to persuade businesses and the government to treat PFAS chemicals as a class. It’s all go in our world this week.

Are you safe, legal, and environmentally friendly?

Doing water pollution prevention the right way saves our clients large amounts of time, money and hassle. In a world where massive fines are not unusual for water pollution and environment permits are getting ever-stricter, it makes sense to comply in every possible way. We are here to help you achieve exactly that.