A Tory colleague and Green MP with the PFAS mapping study
When a Tory colleague demands for surveillance, Green MP Carline Lucas argues that stricter controls are now necessary. The magnitude of “forever chemicals” that are poisoning rivers and oceans and endangering both humans and animal health must be controlled, according to Caroline Lucas.
A significant mapping study, the Guardian reported that high concentrations of per – and polyflouroalkyl substances(PFAS), sometimes known as forever chemicals, had been discovered at hundreds of locations around the UK and Europe.
The map demonstrates how PFAS contamination has spread to drinking water sources in the UK. Water providers say the contaminants are either combined with another source to dilute the chemicals or they go through a specialised treatment procedure to be eliminated, so they do not wind up in the finished tap water.
Toxic persistent chemicals are contaminating our rivers and oceans, contaminating our food supply, and oceans, contaminating our food supply, and posing a serious threat to human health, marine life, and animal life.
UK’s limitations on chemical pollution are far below
Yet, the UK’s limitations on chemical pollution are far below those set by other countries, and water corporations’ assertions that mixing chemicals with other sources can mask the contaminants are simply untrue.
The government urgently needs to get a trip on this chemical crisis and adopt tougher regulations now.
Since 2006, about 120 samples of drinking water sources have been found to contain concentrations of perfluorooctane sulfonate collectively known as PFAS, at levels above the 100ng/l level, according to data obtained by the Guardian and Watershed from water companies and the Environment Agency.
The Drinking Water Inspectorate(DWI) rules state that water suppliers should take steps to lower the concentrations before serving people’s homes with they reach this level.
The DWI guideline limit, which was set at 3,000ng/l until 2009, was substantially higher. In the US, the PFAS drinking water guideline values are substantially lower.
Data obtained by the Guardian and Environment Agency urges stricter regulation
One of the reasons no river in England can pass testing for chemical and biological contamination is because of forever chemicals. The environmental audit committee’s chair, a Conservative named Philip Dunne, oversaw an investigation into river water quality that came to the conclusion that a chemical concoction of contaminants was entering streams.
His committee has requested that ministers conduct a UK-wide assessment to better understand the chemicals to which we are constantly exposed. The unfortunate reality is that because dangerous chemicals are not frequently monitored in our rivers.
We are ignorant of their presence, according to Dunne. If we are to have any chance of stemming the tide, monitoring for these persistent pollutants must be greatly increased.
In England, not a singly river has earned a clean bill of health for chemical poisoning. It was unfortunate that the government ignored the committee’s suggestions to conduct a UK-wide study to better understand the chemicals we are exposed to on a daily basis in the hazardous chemicals report it issued in 2019 and the water quality, in my opinion, will prioritise the regular monitoring of forever chemicals.
Source:
