UK risks falling behind Europe in controlling ‘forever chemicals’

Only two of thousands of PFAS are regulated, while the EU is already contemplating stricter standards

• Ministers told to get a grip on scale of ‘forever chemicals’ pollution in UK

PFAS “forever chemicals” are everywhere, they don’t break down in the environment, and they can build up in the body and can be toxic. The world is waking up to the issue but so far action has been slow.

There are thousands of PFAS but in the UK, just two – PFOS and PFOA – are regulated, and the country risks falling behind the EU, where plans to get a grip on the substances are under way.