per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), known as “forever chemicals”, are a family of more than 10,000 synthetic chemicals widely used in consumer products and industrial processes. They are persistent and do not break down naturally in the environment. Some toxins accumulate in living organisms and are linked to a variety of diseases, including cancer, immune deficiency, hormone disruption, and developmental problems.
An Environment Agency report identified more than 10,000 “high-risk sites” contaminated by PFAS. Calls for proactive investigations, legal action, and comprehensive remediation highlight the urgency to address these persistent chemicals.
Here are some of the major pollution hotspots.
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Problem: PFAS in firefighting foams have contaminated groundwater.
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action: Angus Fire could face legal action brought by the Environment Agency and Bentham residents for the highest PFAS levels detected in groundwater to date in the UK.
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Feedback: Angus Fire has offered to buy the houses adjacent to it and said it has stopped manufacturing, testing or selling foam products with PFAS and is working with the Environment Agency to deal with the contamination.
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Problem: Contamination with the cancer-linked chemical perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) has been found in land and water around AGC Chemicals Europe’s PFAS manufacturing plant in Thornton-Cleveleys, as well as releases from the site to protected areas. River Wyre.
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action: A preliminary report from A Multi-agency investigation PFOA levels exceed safe limits for personal vegetable consumption. The scope of the investigation has been widened, but the Environment Agency is not looking for a PFAS called EEA-NH4, which The agency says it’s toxic, persistentAnd it is known that it will be released Large volume on the site
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Feedback: The AGC phased out PFOA in 2012 but denies the current contamination risks. It says the PFOA in the waste comes from a legacy source and says emissions are being monitored to ensure there is no risk to the environment or health.
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Problem: Cambridge Water supplied more than 1,000 South Cambridgeshire homes from an aquifer containing high levels of PFAS, possibly contaminated by previously used firefighting foam. RAF base at DuxfordNow owned by the Imperial War Museum.
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action: The Drinking Water Inspectorate found contaminated water in Cambridgeshire was exacerbated by “miscalculations, errors, delays and misinformation” from Cambridge Water, undermining confidence in the supplier.
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Feedback: Cambridge Water said the contaminants did not reach customers because it mixed the water with another source and apologized.
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Problem: Firefighting foam is a major source of PFAS and groundwater at Moreton-in-Marshe Fire Training College There are higher levels, such as rivers near the site. A report of the area surrounding the college revealed that perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) levels exceeded environmental quality standards.
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action: The college is listed by the Environment Agency Problem site.
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Feedback: The college did not respond to requests for comment.
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Problem: Reports commissioned by the Ministry of Defense show high levels of PFOS and PFOA in groundwater and surface water at RAF Benson, RAF Coningsby, and RAF Waddington. Separately, sampling of drinking water sources at locations near RAF bases Markham and Mildenhall showed PFAS contamination, which may be linked.
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Feedback: D Ministry of Defense says: “Ensuring the safety of our staff, employees and the public is our number one priority and that is why we are complying with relevant laws and regulations. As understanding of these chemicals has changed, we have responded accordingly. We have prioritized a program of investigation of our sites, which has been agreed with the Environment Agency.”
6. Heathrow Airport, Middlesex
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Problem: Elevated levels of PFOS and PFOA have been detected in shallow groundwater at the site from historical legal use of PFOS-containing substances, including firefighting foam. Adjacent rivers Crane and Yeading Brook both failed their chemical status for PFOS. River levels are higher downstream of the airport, but are also found upstream, indicating other sources of pollution.
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action: The airport says it has been monitoring PFOS at the airport since 2011. They stopped using firefighting foams containing PFOS in 2011 and stopped using foams containing PFAS in 2012.
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Feedback: Heathrow Airport says it has invested more than £30 million in water pollution control systems.
7. Sewage Treatment Plants, Nationwide
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Problem: Wastewater treatment plants can be a significant source of PFAS contamination in treated and untreated effluents. It can come from domestic or industrial waste, and some PFAS can even form during the wastewater treatment process when other substances break down.
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action: A chemical investigation program is underway to determine which treatment operations are the source of PFAS and other chemicals of concern and why they are the source of contamination.
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Feedback: The UK water industry has called for a ban on PFAS and calls for polluters to pay for pollution mitigation. Treatment plants need to be upgraded to handle the complex chemicals, which will cost billions of pounds.
8. Stowe Quarry Landfill, Somerset
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Problem: The Environment Agency has highlighted the Stowe Quarry near the Chew Valley Reservoir as a potential PFAS hotspot. About 100,000 tons of waste including hazardous materials were illegally dumped in 2016. It was considered one of the UK’s most serious environmental crimes in the last 30 years.
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action: Mark Foley, who operated an illegal landfill, He was in jail for more than two years.
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Feedback: Local authorities did not respond to requests for comment.
Waste management facilities, including historic and permitted landfills, are common sources of PFAS contamination, as can airports, fire stations, military sites, chemical manufacturers, energy and industrial facilities. Other sources include wastewater treatment sites, agricultural sites where sewage sludge is used, metal, pulp and paper mills, leather and textile manufacturers.
The cost of decontamination of already contaminated UK sites, according to new research This could reach an estimated £428m annually for the next 20 years. If emissions remain unchecked and unregulated, clean-up costs are estimated to reach £9.9bn a year.
An Environment Agency spokesman said: “The global science of PFAS is developing rapidly and we are undertaking a multi-year program to better understand the sources of PFAS contamination in England. We regularly test for 47 different PFAS in our water monitoring and PFAS We are constantly improving our ability to perform a wide range of analyses.
“We have developed a risk-screening approach to identify potential sources of PFAS contamination in England. This process will help prioritize sites for further investigation. We are working with a number of partners, including local authorities, to improve our evidence base and assess and manage environmental risks from contaminated land. Working closely.”
