Significant drop in levels of toxic ‘forever’ chemicals in England’s rivers

The Environment Agency (EA) says levels of two highly toxic “forever” chemicals, PFOS and PFOA, in England’s rivers have fallen by nearly a third over the past decade. The decline follows tighter restrictions on their use and is evidence that regulation can reduce contamination, but experts and the EA say thousands of other PFAS still need closer monitoring and control.

The latest figures show river concentrations of PFOS fell by 30% and PFOA by 29%; levels in freshwater fish fell by 49%. PFOS was almost entirely banned in the UK in 2010 and PFOA in 2020, after research linked them to harm in animals and serious health conditions. The EA cautions that the total amount in the environment may not have changed, as the chemicals persist and have been diluted or washed out to sea; it is testing for 60 other PFAS.