The Discovery of PFAS in the Solent Strait
Scientists have found high levels of toxic
PFAS, or “forever chemicals”, in soil, water and throughout the marine food chain in the UK’s Solent strait, including at protected environmental sites, according to a
new study.
Extent of the Pollution
In some samples, pollution was 13 times the safe threshold for coastal waters. Others, which were below legal limits for individual chemicals, failed tests for combined toxicity. The samples were taken from the Solent strait, which runs between the
Isle of Wight and the mainland, forming part of the Channel.
Sources of the Chemicals
The chemicals are thought to have entered the environment from wastewater treatment plants, sewage outflows, historic landfills and nearby military sites. Researchers analysed government data, testing at water utilities, and their own samples from a dozen species of fish, seaweed and invertebrates.
Impact on the Environment
They found
PFAS were entering the Solent in treated effluent from wastewater plants in
Portsmouth and
Fareham operated by
Southern Water, the utility that provides drinking water and sewerage for
Kent,
Sussex,
Hampshire and the
Isle of Wight. The study also mapped 194 combined sewer overflow outfalls and more than 500 nearby historic landfills that researchers believe could also contribute to the pollution.
Calls for Action
Researchers said their findings highlighted the need to monitor chemicals in combination and to make a blanket ban on
PFAS part of the government’s water reform agenda. Prof
Alex Ford, a biologist at the
University of Portsmouth and one of the study’s authors, said: “If there was an oil spill in the Solent that industry would have to pay for the restoration of those habitats, but that doesn’t happen with sewage.”
Future Outlook
The
EU is moving towards a blanket
PFAS ban, probably with some exceptions for medicine and other critical uses. The British government said it would consult on setting limits for the chemicals and carry out further tests when its own
PFAS plan was published in February, promising a “framework … to understand where these chemicals are coming from, how they spread and how to reduce public and environmental exposure”.