Levels of the two most toxic “forever” chemicals in England’s rivers have dropped by nearly a third over the past decade, according to figures from the Environment Agency.
Strict rules caused the decline. PFOS faced a near ban in the UK in 2010. PFOA followed in 2020.
Data published on Thursday shows that concentrations of PFOS and PFOA in English rivers have fallen by 30% and 29% respectively over the last ten years, The Good News Brief noted. Freshwater fish levels dropped by 49% over the same period.
“It is brilliant to see how far we have come over the past 10 years,” said Dr David Megson, reader in environmental forensics at Manchester Metropolitan University.
Thousands of other PFAS remain in use. The Environment Agency said its findings show the need to monitor and regulate all PFAS as a group rather than addressing them separately.
The chemicals industry opposed group regulation. It said toxicity data for many other PFAS is limited and some compounds serve vital functions in life-saving medical equipment. The Environment Agency acknowledged that uncertainty remains regarding the toxicity of many PFAS.
The regulator is testing for 60 additional PFAS to map contamination nationwide. The government announced earlier in November that it would begin monitoring chemical levels in people’s bodies. Megson said that because the persistent compounds take an exceptionally long time to break down naturally, the overall environmental mass has likely remained unchanged rather than disappearing entirely.
“There is still a great deal to be done, and this report provides an essential foundation to support investigations into making polluters pay for any damage they have caused,” Megson told Yahoo News Malaysia.
Earlier coverage: Organic Pollutants Threaten Aquatic Ecosystems Even in Protected Areas
