UK risks falling behind Europe in controlling ‘forever chemicals’

The River Roding in east London has 20 times the level of PFAS the EU standard is proposing. Photograph: Graham Turner/The Guardian

PFAS “forever chemicals” are everywhere, they don’t break down in the environment, and they can build up in the body and can be toxic. The world is waking up to the issue but so far action has been slow.

There are thousands of PFAS but in the UK, just two – PFOS and PFOA – are regulated, and the country risks falling behind the EU, where plans to get a grip on the substances are under way.