The Marine Conservation Society discusses the impact of PFAS chemicals on our health, the environment, and marine ecosystems, and highlights the need for urgent action and intervention to prevent further damage.
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a group of thousands of similar chemicals that were first manufactured in the 1950s and are now widespread around the world. PFAS chemicals are used in a variety of consumer products, from making clothing waterproof and stain-resistant to cleaning products and oil-resistant food packaging. It is also resistant to degradation by heat, oil, water, chemicals, and ultraviolet light, making it widely used in industrial processes and products.
The dangers of “eternal chemicals”
One of the key characteristics of PFAS is their high persistence, hence their nickname “forever chemicals.” This persistence, resulting from resistance to degradation, is also the root cause of many of the problems associated with PFAS. Everything becomes toxic when taken in a certain dose. Even chemicals like water can be toxic in the right (or wrong) doses. This fact is particularly relevant for persistent chemicals that do not break down.
With continued use, they accumulate in the environment, increasing their concentration and increasing the potential for harm. So even if persistent chemicals are banned, they will still cause harm for decades.
This has been previously shown for another group of industrial chemicals, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls). Bans on these chemicals were introduced in the 1980s and continue to impact killer whale fertility to this day. Britain’s killer whale population is on the verge of complete collapse within the next 100 years.
If a non-persistent and therefore short-lived chemical exhibits harmful effects and its use is discontinued, the pollution will stop and, in theory, the effects will rapidly diminish. However, for persistent chemicals such as PCBs and PFAS, their presence and effects remain for generations.
PFAS in marine ecosystems
Not only are PFAS chemicals used in countless applications, but they also have many routes into the environment. Both directly, such as through the use of firefighting foam, and indirectly, through wastewater and landfills. We at the Marine Conservation Society, in collaboration with the University of Portsmouth, have published research into the presence of PFAS in Langstone Harbour. We found that concentrations of PFAS increased after sewage was discharged into the port for a period of time. This study focused on the hidden aspects of sewage pollution, demonstrating that the effects of untreated sewage discharged into the ocean extend beyond bacteria to invisible and harmful chemicals.
PFAS are found throughout marine ecosystems, from plankton, the very building blocks of the food chain, to marine mammals at the top. In collaboration with Watershed Investigations, we conducted a survey of PFAS in UK wildlife and found that dolphins, otters, porpoises, buzzards and fish across the UK are contaminated with PFAS. Not only are they present in these species, but their effects are also abundant. PFAS affect immune function, as in sea otters off the coast of California, levels of PFOS and PFOA (two globally restricted PFAS) were found to be significantly higher in animals that died from infectious diseases compared to animals that died from other causes. A study conducted over several years in the United States also found that PFOS directly dysregulated the immune system of bottlenose dolphins. There are also some examples of hormonal effects caused by PFAS, such as effects on thyroid function in seabirds. It was also found that polar bears suffer from neurological effects from PFAS exposure, which can affect their movement and behavior.
Adding to the seriousness of the problem, PFAS chemicals can be transmitted from mother to offspring in several species, including across the placenta in mammals and in the eggs of seabirds and freshwater turtles. This means that young people are exposed to these harmful pollutants even before they are born, setting the stage for lifelong health challenges and reduced chances of survival.
learn from history
Heeding these warnings is critical to the future of our oceans and the wider environment. Throughout history, we have received similar warnings about other chemicals and responded too slowly, increasing the harm they ultimately cause. A report published by the European Environment Agency called “Late lessons learned from early warnings” delves into these details. For example, the use of lead in gasoline was warned by experts when it was introduced in 1925. During the 1960s and 1970s, when lead was used in gasoline, much of the research was industry-driven or industry-funded, with the first independent studies demonstrating harm to humans and ultimately leading to its removal a few years later.
We must learn from these past mistakes and avoid making the same mistakes in the future. We have already banned certain PFAS individually, but this process is difficult and time-consuming, and if we continue the same way, it will take thousands of years to restrict them all. The Marine Conservation Society is concerned about the persistence of PFAS in marine ecosystems and the broader environment. We want the UK Government to take urgent action against these permanent chemicals by introducing universal PFAS limits similar to those proposed in the EU. This action is the only way to stop the flow of PFAS to the environment, wildlife, and us.
This article will also be published in the quarterly magazine issue 24.
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