Restrict 'forever chemicals' that hurt people and planet, MPs urge

The use of so-called “forever chemicals” in everyday items such as cookware and school uniforms should be phased out, amid growing concerns over their impact on health and nature, MPs have said.

The cross-party Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) is calling on the government to restrict all non-essential uses of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances – or PFAs – in consumer products from 2027.

PFAs are called “forever chemicals” because they can take centuries to break down in the environment. They are widely used across industries and in products, including non-stick pans, firefighting foams, pesticides, cosmetics and medical devices.

But growing evidence shows they pose risks to both people and planet, accumulating in the bodies of living organisms and potentially leading to severe health conditions, including cancer and fertility issues.

In a report published on Thursday following an inquiry into PFAs, the group of MPs said ministers must take a stronger approach to regulating the harmful toxins.

The EAC also wants the government to introduce a “polluter pays” principle where businesses responsible for PFAs seeping into waterways and soil pay for the clean up, and to establish a national fund for remediation and invest in technologies that can destroy the toxins safely.

“PFAs are now central to everyday and some lifesaving products, and nearly all of us will have some level of PFAs in our bodies,” said EAC chairman Toby Perkins.

“But evidence we heard throughout our inquiry suggests that our dependence on PFAs has come with a cost to the environment, and perhaps to human health too.”

In February, the government published a PFAs action plan, outlining measures that ministers, businesses and regulators can take to better understand how the chemicals spread into the environment, and how to reduce public and environmental exposure.

But campaigners were quick to criticise the government for not considering a ban or restrictions on their use, as the European Union and California have done.

Mr Perkins said the committee welcomed the government’s plan but that it “does not go far enough”.

“It appears to be a plan to eventually have a plan, rather than a concrete set of commitments to reduce and remediate PFAs,” he said.

The committee said that ministers should introduce interim limits on levels found in consumer products still on the market and standardised labelling to inform consumers about the chemicals present.

It also said that companies should get approval before introducing newly developed PFAs, rather than the government waiting for proof that a chemical is harmful before it is banned.

The committee also argued that without restricting “groups” of these chemicals, the government risks taking a “whack-a-mole” approach to regulation.

Elsewhere, the report said that voluntary action on these chemicals and self-regulation by industry is not sufficient to reduce PFA emissions.

While the EAC welcomed the government’s recent proposals to set limits for levels found in drinking water, it said significant gaps remain in limiting exposure to PFAs through food and agriculture.

The MPs are therefore calling for limits on the levels and types of PFAs permitted in food.

ITV News has contacted the Environment Department (Defra) for comment.

Reporting History sees journalists join News At Ten anchor Tom Bradby to revisit their remarkable on-the-day reports of the defining events of the modern age. Listen to the episodes below…