A major new study has found that PFAS contamination is widespread across the Solent coast, with permanently toxic chemicals detected in seawater, marine wildlife, sediment and treated wastewater.
Researchers from the University of Portsmouth and the Marine Conservation Society say the UK’s existing regulations fail to protect both ecosystems and public health.
The investigation focused on the River Solent, a busy stretch of water that separates Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight.
Scientists analyzed samples taken from throughout the marine environment, including fish, crabs, seaweed, porpoises, wastewater, and seafloor sediment.
The discovery reveals PFAS contamination throughout the food chain, from lower marine organisms to top predators.
Researchers also found that concentrations of PFOS, one of the most heavily regulated PFAS compounds, exceeded UK and EU coastal safety standards by more than 13 times at some test sites.
The study warns that assessing single chemicals in isolation can significantly underestimate environmental and overall health risks.
Toxic chemicals buried across the Sorrento coast
PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a large group of synthetic chemicals that have been used in thousands of consumer and industrial products since the 1950s.
They are commonly found in nonstick cookware, waterproof fabrics, food packaging, firefighting foam, industrial manufacturing, and more.
Because these substances break down very slowly, they accumulate in waterways, wildlife, and human tissues over time. Their persistence led to the term eternal chemicals.
The latest Solent Coast Survey combined fresh field sampling with historical monitoring data to build what researchers say is the most comprehensive regional PFAS assessment ever carried out in UK coastal waters.
Scientists investigated surface waters, wastewater runoff, marine sediments, and multiple species across ecosystems.
Wastewater treatment plants identified as major PFAS sources
The study identified two wastewater treatment facilities as significant sources of PFAS contamination entering the Solent’s marine environment.
Buzz Farm in Portsmouth and Peel Common in Fareham, which together serve around 650,000 residents, were both found to emit a broad mix of PFAS compounds through the release of treated wastewater.
Researchers said current wastewater treatment systems are not designed to effectively remove these highly persistent chemicals.
As well as wastewater infrastructure, scientists have mapped around 200 combined sewer overflow points and more than 540 historic landfill sites near the Solent’s coastline.
These locations are considered potential long-term sources of contamination that supply PFAS to surrounding waters.
The findings add to concerns about chemicals entering the UK’s coastal environment through aging infrastructure, industrial waste and historic waste disposal.
Marine mammals showed the highest pollution levels
Of all the wild animals studied, porpoises recorded the highest concentrations of PFAS.
The animal’s liver samples exceed recognized ecological safety standards, highlighting how these chemicals accumulate in predators higher up the food chain.
Although many seafood and seaweed samples remained within existing legal limits when individual PFAS chemicals were assessed individually, results varied widely when researchers measured the total toxic burden of multiple PFAS substances.
Using a cumulative toxicity model aligned to European Food Safety Authority benchmarks, most species sampled exceeded recommended health thresholds.
The researchers argue that this points to a major weakness in current regulations, which primarily assess PFAS compounds individually rather than as complex chemical mixtures.
This study suggests that the real-world impacts of PFAS contamination may be significantly greater than currently official assessments indicate.
Professor Alex Ford from the Institute of Marine Science at the University of Portsmouth explains:
“When we look at each chemical individually, most species fall within legal limits, but when we consider them all together, the situation becomes even more concerning.
“Regulations need to catch up with science and treat these chemicals as mixtures, not just individual substances.
“Some of our whales and dolphins still suffer from chemical contaminants that we were slow to ban decades ago. We owe it to future generations to act faster this time.”
Political pressure grows over PFAS regulations
The findings come amid growing political scrutiny of PFAS contamination in the UK.
An earlier Sorento-focused study by the same research partnership was referenced in Congress during debate over proposed legal limits for PFAS in drinking water.
This initial research has since been cited in multiple policy documents related to chemical regulation and environmental protection.
There are currently no legally enforceable limits on PFAS in drinking water in England and Wales. However, the Drinking Water Inspection Service expanded its monitoring guidelines in 2025, requiring water companies to test for a broader range of PFAS chemicals.
Congressional inquiries into the risks of PFAS will continue until 2026, while European regulators are moving toward broader restrictions on the use of PFAS across thousands of product categories.
Long-chain PFAS chemicals will also be added to the global Stockholm Convention in 2025, with an international ban expected to take effect in December 2026.
Why the Sorrento Coast survey results are important
The Solent coast is one of the UK’s most vibrant and ecologically important marine areas, supporting commercial shipping, fishing, tourism and conservation of wildlife habitat.
Scientists have warned that persistent PFAS contamination in such heavily used coastal environments raises wider questions about pollution management across the UK.
Researchers say there is growing evidence that broader restrictions on PFAS production and stronger environmental controls are needed before the contamination becomes more difficult to reverse.
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