New research has found the presence of 'forever chemicals' in the Solent, off the Isle of Wight, to be at alarming levels, leading to scientists to call for further government intervention.
A new paper, published by a partnership of the University of Portsmouth and the Marine Conservation Society, has detailed the presence of toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the stretch of water between the Island and the mainland.
Nicknamed 'forever chemicals', PFAS chemicals are used in everyday products but are extremely resistant to breaking down.
The chemicals have been linked to immune system disruption, liver damage and certain cancers in humans and wildlife.
Read more:
-
Council grant award to help identify 'significant' savings for vulnerable households
-
McDonald’s drive-thru in Lake gets green light despite health fears
-
'Serious concerns' voiced over major housing development on Newport outskirts
An Isle of Wight Council spokesperson said regulation of water quality and discharges to rivers and coastal area is the responsibility of the Environment Agency (EA) and the local authority has not been notified of a bathing water concern.
A spokesperson said: "PFAS are a group of emerging contaminants, and national bodies continue to assess the evidence base and risks associated with them.
"We will continue to engage with the relevant authorities and review any guidance issued.”
The team collected samples, examining surface water, sediments, treated wastewater and marine life and found evidence of PFAS at multiple levels of the Solent.
Academics used a comprehensive method of recording toxicity and found the majority of species sampled exceeded the legal health benchmark.
One of the most 'tightly regulated' compounds, PFOS, exceeded the legal safety limit by more than 13 times in the sampling sites.
The paper also found two Southern Water treatment plants in Portsmouth and Fareham were releasing a wide range of 'forever chemicals' into the environment and mapped sites where PFAS could be feeding into the Solent.
The authors of the research are now calling for further regulation and intervention.
Professor Alex Ford, from the University of Portsmouth's Institute of Marine Sciences, said: “We are seeing forever chemicals throughout the Solent's food web, from the base right up to marine mammals.
"Most species fall within the legal limits when you look at individual chemicals in isolation, but when you consider everything together, the picture is more concerning. Regulation needs to catch up with the science and treat these chemicals as mixtures, not just individual substances.
"Some of our whales and dolphins are still suffering from chemical contaminants we were slow to ban decades ago. We owe it to future generations to act faster this time."
A Southern Water spokesperson said: "Tackling the presence of these chemicals is a challenge for society as a whole.
"While we’re investing heavily in cutting storm overflows, and are removing more and more contaminants through wastewater treatment, the most sustainable solution is to meet the problem at source by changing legislation to restrict or ban certain chemicals and keep them out of pipes and the environment in the first place."
A spokesperson for Defra said: ""The persistent nature of ‘forever chemicals’ poses a long-term challenge for the nation's ecosystems and health.
"The first ever PFAS Plan shows the decisive action we are taking to better understand and tackle the sources of these chemicals, including in England's estuaries and coastal waters, through better guidance and monitoring, tougher rules on their use and support for transitioning to safer alternatives."
The Environment Agency has been contacted for a statement.
Share