Drinking water map shows where toxic ‘forever chemicals' are found in the UK
Traces of a chemical that researchers fear could harm human reproduction have been found in dozens of Britain's rivers, a new study has warned.
Researchers from York University found trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) in 98% of locations in 32 rivers in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
TFA is one of a family of more than 14,000 man-made chemicals known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs), which have been used since the 1940s in everything from waterproof clothing to non-stick frying pans, as well as cosmetics and food packaging.
The chemicals can accumulate in people's bodies (as well as in the water we drink) and can lead to serious health issues including cancer, liver damage and harm to unborn children.
The UK government launched an inquiry this year into the issue - but campaigners say not enough is being done.
Natalie Sims, from the Royal Society of Chemistry, told Yahoo News: 'There is more that could be being done, and that is why we are calling for action.'
The Royal Society of Chemistry has mapped levels of the chemicals in Britain's drinking waters, and is calling for the public to take action to raise the issue.
'The public can be really powerful, and I think we have seen that when we look at tackling sewage overflows, that's really been pushed up the government agenda, because the public is also pushing for it," Sims says.
'That's why we really want to take action now, and that's why there's been much more push for it from organisations like ourselves or others. In addition to developing alternative materials, we urgently need stronger, more robust controls to prevent further pollution and reduce our exposure to harmful substances in the environment.'
PFAs are a group of thousands of chemicals that don't occur in nature and are extremely hard to get rid of. They also also toxic, even in small quantities.
They have been used in manufacturing and consumer products since the 1940s.
'We've used them so extensively, really since the 1940s they found our way in so many different consumer products," Sims explains. "For example, in your waterproof coat, anything waterproofing, school children's clothing, anything stain resistant. PFAs have some desirable properties, and are so good at what they do in terms of that heat resistance, that water and oil resistance, stain resistance, durability, often a lot of the things that makes it very useful in products.
'Because they're so persistent, they obviously found their way into the environment, into our food, into our water.
They are also used in jet engines, medical devices, refrigeration systems, the construction industry and electrical devices.
In the environment, they can last for extremely long periods: hundreds or even thousands of years.
They also accumulate in human bodies.
'Forever chemicals' have been phased out of some consumer products - but are still used in products such as non-stick frying pans and some packaging, although manufacturers tend to be reluctant to say exactly where they are used.
The dangers attached to PFAs often comes when they are used industrially, or when products containing PFAs are disposed of inadequately, meaning they enter the water supply.
In the UK, PFAs are most likely to be found in water near industrial sites including airports and areas that produce products which use PFAs.
The Royal Society of Chemistry warns that contamination is likely near landfill sites where liquid contaminated with PFAs can leak out of the site, or near incinerators which often are not hot enough to fully burn PFAs.
The chemicals can also be found near where firefighting foam is routinely used, including airports, military sites and fire-training areas.
Some airports, including Heathrow, have already switched to using foam which does not contain PFAs.
Wastewater sites can also leech PFAs into the water.
The chemicals have been linked to serious health issues including liver damage, some cancers and harm to unborn children, thyroid disease and fertility issues.
Large-scale studies have shown that PFAs in drinking water correlates with increased levels of cancer in multiple parts of the body.
A review in the journal eBioMedicine linked PFAs exposure to decreased efficiency in vaccines, premature birth, increased severity of COVID-19, along with cancer, reduced immune function and developmental delays in children.
Water companies in England and Wales must monitor and regulate 48 types of PFAs, despite there being thousands of varieties, with many remaining untested.
But this Drinking Water Inspectorate ruling actually goes further than EU legislation.
Individual PFAs concentrations in drinking water cannot exceed 100 nanograms per litre (ng/L).
This is 10 times higher than the Drinking Water Inspectorate's own 'low risk' threshold of 10 ng/L.
In the US, there are limits of 4 ng/L for each of PFOS and PFOA, two of the most common PFAs, and the EU states that 20 widespread PFAs must collectively not exceed 100 ng/L.
The Royal Society of Chemistry has called for new limits on the amounts of PFAs permissible in drinking water.
Specifically the RSC has called for a new limit of 10 ng/L for individual PFAs.
The RSC has also called for stricter controls over the sources of PFAs including in industrial discharges, with a national chemicals regulator to monitor and regulate discharges.
Sims says: 'An RSC survey of more than 4,000 UK adults, carried out by YouGov in August showed nine in ten Britons believe it's 'very important' to keep PFAS out of our food, water and environment. The public do want action on this, which I think is really powerful when it comes to speaking to the government.
'In terms of industry, having them push to develop alternatives, because they've had these chemicals that they've been allowed to use for so long, in terms of because they're so good at what they do, it's trying to transition that away into more, safer and sort of sustainable alternatives.
Sims says that it's also vital that British people have a clearer picture of the chemicals in the water they drink.
She says: 'PFAS are contained in many products and ingredients that are made or imported to the UK for use across many industries. However, we do not have a full picture of how PFAS enter and move within the supply chain.
'It's likely that the exposure you have on the everyday is going to be quite low, but it's that long term build up where, for one thing, it can be really challenging to pinpoint where those adverse effects could come from.'
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However, as it is organic, it is not fortified, Ludlam-Raine notes. It's a good option if you're trying to reduce your sugar intake but it won't offer the vitamins and minerals that many people are lacking in, such as vitamin D, adds Alison Clark, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association. Part of the M&S range made with few ingredients, the one-ingredient cornflakes contain only corn and naturally-occurring sugars. As a result, they are the lowest sugar cornflakes from major supermarkets, with 0.2g per 30g portion. However, their ranking has been nudged down because they are not fortified. 'This option is good if you're specifically looking to avoid sugar, but lacks the micronutrient benefits of fortified options,' Ludlam-Raine says. This gluten-free option from Tesco has a similar calorie and fat level to standard cornflakes but is higher in sugar (2g per 30g) than most other options. 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