How should so-called ‘forever chemicals’ be regulated? MPs tackle PFAS
On Wednesday 25 June, MPs hold the first evidence session of a new inquiry into Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) also known as ‘forever chemicals’.
MPs on the Environmental Audit Committee will consider what affect these chemicals have on the environment and human health, and whether the UK’s current approach to regulating them goes far enough.
PFAS are a family of more than 14,000 synthetic chemicals found in a range of everyday items, from food packaging to cosmetics. However, resistant to heat, water, oil and grease, the long time it takes these chemicals to break down means they can pose potential risks to the environment and to people’s bodies as they accumulate.
Alternatives are currently being explored for some uses, while for others PFAS chemicals are seen as being critical. In the session, MPs are likely to ask witnesses which industries rely on PFAS, and how feasible it is to find genuine alternatives.
The EU is currently seeking to regulate PFAS as an entire class of chemicals and allow them to be used only when proven essential, while the Canadian government is assessing fluoropolymers – one subgroup of chemicals – as distinct from PFAS, due to different exposure and hazard profiles.
However, the regulation of PFAS chemicals is the subject of intense debate. Some researchers say defining the PFAS family more narrowly to exclude certain subgroups would be “politically and/or economically, rather than scientifically, motivated”.
Meeting details
MPs are likely to ask witnesses how the UK’s current approach to regulating PFAS compares to that of the EU or USA, among others, and whether PFAS should be regulated collectively as a single class of chemicals.
The session is also likely to cover PFAS exposure in the UK. MPs are likely to ask how exposure is mapped and monitored, whether deprived communities are more at risk, and whether enough is known about the risks of PFAS to communities across the UK.