How fighting ‘forever chemicals’ can save money and health
UK’s Plan to Tackle PFAS Pollution Falls Short of EU Measures
The United Kingdom has introduced a new plan to address the growing issue of PFAS contamination, commonly known as “forever chemicals.” These substances are a group of over 10,000 synthetic compounds that have become a major environmental and public health concern. While the UK’s initiative aims to understand the sources, spread, and reduction of PFAS exposure, it has faced criticism for not being ambitious enough compared to actions taken by the European Union.
The UK government announced its action plan on Tuesday, which includes monitoring rivers, lakes, and seas, supporting a transition away from PFAS, and consulting on limits for drinking water. Despite these steps, some experts argue that the plan lacks the necessary urgency and comprehensive measures required to tackle this pressing issue.
Chloe Alexander, chemicals policy lead at Wildlife and Countryside Link, described the plan as a “roadmap to nowhere” for one of the most serious pollution threats facing nature and public health. She criticized the absence of binding phase-outs, a timetable for ending everyday uses where affordable alternatives already exist, and a commitment to match the EU’s proposed broad ban on the use and manufacture of all PFAS.
The Growing Concern of PFAS Contamination
PFAS are widely used in various industries, including automotive, paper, metal, chemical, and plastics. They are found in everyday items such as plastic surfaces, pizza box coatings, and outdoor clothing. These chemicals are persistent in the environment and cannot be broken down naturally, leading to long-term pollution of water, soil, air, and food.
Almost everyone has PFAS in their blood, and research links exposure to certain PFAS to immune system effects, developmental harm, reduced fertility, and increased risks of specific cancers. However, the strength of evidence varies depending on the chemical involved.
The Economic Impact of PFAS Pollution
The economic fallout from PFAS pollution is significant. A report by the European Union Commission found that PFAS-related damage could cost the EU hundreds of billions of euros in the coming years. Under a business-as-usual scenario, if production and use remain high, the pollution caused by four PFAS substances alone will cost EU citizens around €40 billion ($47 billion) annually in healthcare costs. This does not include additional financial damage from destroyed ecosystems or declining biodiversity.
Cleaning up contaminated soil and water from these four main PFAS compounds would cost EU countries a total of €1.7 trillion ($2 trillion). The most cost-effective solution would be to gradually phase out the use and production of PFAS from 2030 onwards and discontinue them completely by 2040. This approach would reduce healthcare costs to zero in the long term.
Alternatives and Challenges
While alternatives already exist for some PFAS, they are not available for all. A phase-out and eventual stop of production and use of these substances could bring total costs down to €330 billion.
Recent findings by the Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe revealed that grain products across Europe were contaminated with a potentially harmful forever chemical called trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). Testing 66 grain products from 16 European countries showed that 54 contained high levels of TFA. This substance is believed to enter food through agricultural pesticides and has been linked to potential health risks, including effects on fetal development.
TFA is particularly water-soluble and spreads easily through rain into food and wastewater. The German Environment Agency (UBA) notes that the number of chemical substances that degrade to TFA is increasing. The PAN results show that the overall concentration of TFA in grain products was on average more than 100 times higher than in tap water. TFA contamination was especially evident in conventionally grown grain, where it was more than twice as high as in organic products.
Germany’s Call for PFAS Reduction
TFA has been detected in German waters for years. The UBA confirms that, in addition to industrial sources, the substance is a byproduct of various degraded pesticides. Coolants used in air conditioning or cooling systems also break down into this harmful chemical.
Peter Clausing, a toxicologist at PAN Germany, noted that 27 PFAS active ingredients that can release TFA are still approved for use in pesticides in Germany. He emphasized the urgency of an immediate ban on PFAS pesticides in Germany and across the EU to stop this relevant source of contamination.
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