Environmental charity Fidra shares the findings from its research into PFAS through the PFAS-free project and outlines the changes needed to secure a PFAS-free future in the UK and across the globe.
PFAS, also known as ‘forever chemicals’, are a group of over 10,000 human-made chemicals widely used for their water-, heat-, and stain-resistant properties. PFAS are often used in many everyday products, like non-stick cookware, clothing and food packaging, as well as industrial products like firefighting foams and pesticides. While the properties of PFAS have made this chemical group desirable for some products in society, their use comes with serious and far-reaching consequences.
The PFAS problem in the UK and beyond
The fundamental problem with PFAS is that they are highly persistent. These chemicals find their way into our environment during their production, use and disposal, where they can persist and accumulate in water, soil, and air. As a result, PFAS are now global contaminants. They have been detected in rainwater, in wildlife, and even on the slopes of mount Everest and in human blood. Whilst we know very little about the vast majority of PFAS, those that have been studied in depth have been linked to numerous adverse health effects in humans such as reproductive and immune issues, and some forms of cancer, such as kidney, thyroid and prostate.
Scientists have warned that environmental PFAS levels are so high, we have already crossed the ‘planetary boundary’ – a safe limit that helps keep Earth’s systems stable. Crossing this threshold increases the risk of triggering irreversible environmental harm.
The impacts of PFAS are a transboundary issue and no country is safe from this pollution – the UK included. PFAS pollution is widespread across the UK, with over 10,000 ‘high risk’ sites identified and globally significant pollution of water sources. For example, the River Mersey in Liverpool has some of the highest concentrations of PFOS and PFOA on record (two very toxic and globally significant PFAS), and the River Kelvin, in Glasgow, has the second highest concentration of TFA in surface water recorded globally (an ultrashort-chain PFAS). Furthermore, 94% of English rivers tested (110 out of 117) would not meet the EU safety standards that have been proposed for PFAS in surface waters.
Without urgent national action and international co-operation to phase out PFAS and address existing contamination, we are locking in decades of pollution for future generations.
A PFAS-free future is possible and already underway
Given the scale of existing PFAS pollution, regulation is essential to prevent further emissions and support innovation of alternatives. This is already underway in places such as the European Union (EU), for example, where a proposed universal restriction on all 10,000+ chemicals is currently being progressed. In the meantime, some EU Member States are already taking steps to reduce emissions by embracing the many PFAS-free alternatives readily available. For example, Denmark introduced a restriction on PFAS use in paper and cardboard food packaging back in 2020, with PFAS-free food packaging items being available for many years. Denmark has since also announced a restriction on PFAS in clothing, footwear and waterproofing agents, due to come into effect in 2026. They have also produced a national action plan to improve PFAS monitoring and remediation, and to provide support to companies adopting safer alternatives. France have similarly announced a restriction on PFAS in cosmetics, clothing and ski waxes, demonstrating the already widespread availability of alternatives across numerous sectors.
PFAS alternatives are not limited to consumer products, they are also emerging in industrial applications, including green transition technologies such as wind turbines, solar cells, and electric vehicles. In many of these sectors, PFAS-free alternatives with comparable properties have already been developed. In fact, researchers estimate that 350+ promising PFAS-free alternatives already exist, with potential to fulfil many of the roles where PFAS have traditionally been used. Additionally, over 100 major companies, including IKEA, H&M, Ralph Lauren and New Balance, have signed up to the ‘No to PFAS’ corporate movement, run by Swedish NGO, ChemSec.
It is, however, important to emphasise that sector-specific restrictions alone are not enough, and that those put forward by Denmark and France sit in the context of a broader EU-wide restriction entering into force in the near future. It has been estimated that, should the French ban be implemented on an EU-wide scale, this would still only account for 20% of PFAS emissions. Sector-specific action can therefore only be seen as complementary to broader restrictions on PFAS, covering both consumer and industrial uses.
Continuing to use and manufacture PFAS is also becoming an increasing financial and reputational risk for companies and investors. For example, many legal cases against PFAS producers have resulted in huge settlements. In 2024, for instance, a US court approved that 3M (a major PFAS producer) must pay $12.5bn to settle claims that they were polluting drinking water with PFAS. Many of these cases are becoming more and more frequent in other countries around the world. For example, earlier this year, several former employees of the Italian chemical company Miteni have been sentenced to over 100 years in jail because they were found guilty of polluting local groundwater and drinking water sources with PFAS. Recognising the risks associated with PFAS, investors with $8tn under management have called for chemical producers to phase out persistent chemicals, including PFAS.
Moving away from PFAS not only reduces harmful exposure to people and the environment, but also helps prevent potential economic and reputational risks. In fact, this shift can be a strategic opportunity that allows countries to lead in innovation and drive economic growth by investing in and adopting safer alternatives.
A universal restriction is the only way to control PFAS pollution
The most comprehensive and scientifically supported measure currently proposed to address PFAS is the European Union’s universal restriction. This proposes to restrict all 10,000+ PFAS, and outlines provisions for derogations and implementation periods for certain sectors where necessary.
With over 10,000 known PFAS, regulating them one by one is impractical and has fuelled a cycle of regrettable substitution, where banned PFAS are replaced by structurally similar, unregulated substances from the same family, with comparable potential for harm. For example, GenX, an alternative PFAS for PFOA after it was banned, has now been identified as highly persistent and toxic in animals, prompting the EU to list it as a Substance of Very High Concern (SVHC). This piecemeal approach not only undermines health and environmental protections, it also burdens regulators by requiring individual assessments and creates uncertainty for businesses.
In the UK, the definition used in the PFAS Regulatory Management Option Analysis (RMOA) only covers several hundred PFAS, outlining a much narrower scope than the definition developed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which encompasses over 10,000 PFAS. In addition to offering reduced standards of protection, countries pursuing a narrow definition of PFAS risk introducing trade barriers with countries adopting a broader PFAS definition, such as that used within the proposed EU-wide PFAS restrictions.
Scientists worldwide agree on the need for a broad definition of PFAS, as these chemicals share similar structures that make them extremely persistent in the environment, leading to rising concentrations and growing risks from both known and unknown effects. By adopting a comprehensive definition, and wide-reaching restriction, countries can act swiftly to safeguard public health and the environment, and ensure robust, future-proof regulations.
Fidra: The environmental charity calling for a PFAS-free future
Fidra is an evidence-based environmental charity dedicated to reducing chemical and plastic pollution. Fidra is based in North Berwick, Scotland, and works collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders, including governments, industry, and the public, to develop practical solutions that support sustainable societies and healthy ecosystems.
Fidra has worked on PFAS for almost a decade through the PFAS-free Project. Using the best available science, the project engages a wide range of stakeholders to identify sources of PFAS use and promote safer alternatives. Fidra’s work has centred on three key case studies – PFAS in school uniforms, food packaging, and pesticides – where it has gathered evidence of PFAS use and highlighted viable solutions and alternatives. These efforts have been used to engage with national policy developments and contribute to a growing international momentum for a PFAS-free future. Fidra is calling for a universal PFAS restriction in the UK as the most effective solution to protect public health, the environment, and the economy.
UK retailers want to move away from PFAS
Through engagement with UK retailers, Fidra has found that PFAS are used unnecessarily in a range of products, such as school uniforms and food packaging, highlighting easily avoidable uses of these persistent chemicals. Fidra’s UK-wide survey of over 600 parents and guardians of school-aged children found that PFAS stain-resistant school uniforms provided no meaningful benefit to the consumer. There was no reduction in the washing or replacement of school uniform items relative to stain-resistant treatments. In fact, those who valued stain-resistant finishes were found to wash school uniform items more frequently, and replace them more often, than those who considered the finishes unimportant. Additionally, Fidra found most PFAS stain-resistant finishes on school uniforms only last for 10-20 washes – far less than the typical lifespan of the product. After sharing this evidence with some of the UK’s leading retailers, many agreed to phase out PFAS treatments in school uniforms, demonstrating an unnecessary and avoidable use of these persistent chemicals.
This was also the case when Fidra engaged UK retailers on food packaging. In 2020, Fidra conducted research into the presence of PFAS in UK supermarket and takeaway own-brand food packaging. Results found eight out of nine major UK supermarket packaging contained PFAS, and PFAS was in 100% of takeaway materials tested. In 2021, Fidra delivered a petition containing almost 12,000 signatures to the CEOs of Aldi, ASDA, Co-op, Iceland, Lidl, Morrisons, Marks and Spencer, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose, urging them to remove PFAS from UK food packaging.
Three supermarkets subsequently committed to phasing PFAS out of their own-brand food packaging and others committed to investigating the issue further.
Fidra is continuing to call on the UK government for a group-based restriction on PFAS, including textiles and food packaging.
PFAS pesticides present a major challenge for the UK
PFAS pesticides present a significant environmental concern, including in the UK where their use is widespread. There are currently 27 known PFAS active ingredients approved for use in the UK. Fidra’s analysis of pesticide usage data found that PFAS pesticides are used across all agricultural crop sectors in the UK and were applied to more than 10.6 million hectares of arable crops in 2022 alone.
This represents a direct and large-scale source of persistent environmental contamination. The impact is already being seen in UK waterways. Fidra recently conducted research into Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) – an ultrashort-chain PFAS that is a common breakdown product of some larger PFAS used in pesticides. TFA is highly persistent and very mobile, allowing it to spread quickly, especially through the water cycle. Scientists are increasingly concerned because TFA levels in the environment are rising rapidly, and new evidence suggests it may be toxic to reproductive health. Fidra’s research, in partnership with the University of York, tested 54 sites from across 32 rivers and found TFA pollution to be widespread. TFA was found in 98% of the sites tested, with concentrations comparable to those recorded in countries around the world. One site reported the second-highest level of TFA contamination ever recorded globally.
These findings highlight the urgent need for source control of PFAS to prevent further accumulation in our water sources and wider environment. Fidra is calling on the UK government to commit to implementing a universal restriction on PFAS, including PFAS used in pesticides, and support more sustainable alternatives, such as developments in Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The UK’s recent agreement to align with EU pesticide regulation is a welcomed first step. Fidra, alongside other NGOs and academics, is now urging the UK to align with EU chemical regulations, including the proposed universal PFAS restriction, to protect our health and natural resources from these persistent ‘forever chemicals’.
PFAS pollution is a far-reaching and transboundary issue. Decision-makers around the world must prioritise robust, preventative action to safeguard environmental and public health for generations to come.
Please note, this article will also appear in the 23rd edition of our quarterly publication.
