Regulation and remediation of ‘forever’ chemicals

DOI: https://doi.org/10.58248/PN747

• So-called ‘forever chemicals’, per- and poly- fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are a group of over 10,000 synthetic chemicals widely used in products and industrial processes. PFAS are very resistant to degradation and are now widely found in humans, wildlife, groundwater, rivers, soils and the atmosphere.
• Some types of PFAS have been found to be harmful to human and wildlife health, with research showing links to certain cancers, weakened responses to vaccination, and thyroid disease, as well as other impacts. The types and certainty of health impacts vary between different PFAS.
• Alternatives to PFAS are available for some uses in industry, but there remain critical uses in medicine, energy, defence, manufacturing, communications and transport. Developing alternatives for these uses can be technically challenging, costly, and time intensive.
• Removing PFAS contamination from the environment requires funding, sustained effort, and cooperation between industry, users and regulators.
• There are economic opportunities from research into monitoring and remediation technologies, and innovation in alternatives to PFAS.
• There are challenges relating to defining, monitoring, and developing regulatory approaches for PFAS, as well as remediating existing pollution and addressing critical uses. Assessing restrictions on the uses of PFAS has been identified as a priority under the UK REACH regulation.