There are calls for tougher regulations to limit toxic chemicals

The call came after an analysis of the hair and blood of a group of 17 politicians and environmental leaders found they all tested positive for PFAS, or “forever chemicals.”

The snapshot analysis also revealed the presence of other harmful chemicals, including endocrine disruptors or “ubiquitous chemicals,” as well as heavy metals such as chromium and mercury.

Campaigners say ineffective regulation in the UK could turn chemical pollution into a “hidden time bomb” for the environment and public health.

They warn that regulation has not kept pace with the “explosion” of chemical products in everyday life, and since leaving the EU, the UK has fallen behind in protecting against toxic chemicals.

A coalition of environmental and wildlife groups, Wildlife and Countryside Link (WCL), which led the study, is calling for a ban on PFAS and endocrine disruptors for all but essential uses.

It also calls for an end to delays in chemicals policies, cost-effective legislation and the establishment of better monitoring systems to assess impacts on rivers, seas and soils.

He argues that toxic chemicals should be regulated collectively and that the potential effects of a dangerous chemical cocktail should be assessed before new ones are allowed on the market.

Common

The chemicals are found in common consumer goods, from plastic food packaging to waterproof clothing, toys, toiletries and cosmetics, and leach into the environment, drinking water and food – from fruit and fish.

They are harmful to humans and wildlife, ecologists warn, and the chemicals they contain may have an impact on humans, ranging from an increased risk of cancer, through reduced fertility, hormonal and immune system disorders, and ending with developmental problems.

No rivers in England are classified as healthy due to the presence of toxic chemicals, and chemical cocktails have been found in over 1,600 rivers and groundwater in the UK.

The WCL report warns that pollution causes harm to wildlife, including raptors, otters, dolphins and insects.

The study found that many of the samples had very high concentrations of certain chemicals.

Attendees handing out samples included former Green Party MP Caroline Lucas, Labor MP Alex Sobel and Philip Dunne, former chairman of Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee.

Environmentalist Ben Goldsmith, businessman and food campaigner Henry Dimbleby, RSPB chief executive Beccy Speight and Wildlife Trusts chief executive Craig Bennett also took part in the trials.

Above the norm

As many as seven of the 13 PFAS – substances found in products ranging from non-stick frying pans to toilet paper – that were tested were detected in participants’ blood, while amounts of chemicals that could potentially pose an increased health risk were detected in half of the samples.

Chromium, a heavy metal that can come from industrial processes and the burning of fossil fuels, was detected in particularly high concentrations – in all hair samples tested above the international average, and in one case levels were 13 times higher. Mercury levels were also higher than international averages.