Major Study of PFAS 'Forever Chemicals' in People's Bodies Launched in UK
UK Health Security Agency will use existing survey samples to set baseline PFAS levels and check for lead, arsenic and other contaminants.
- On Tuesday, the UK Health Security Agency launched the nation's first study into levels of 'forever chemicals,' or PFAS, in the population, analyzing blood and urine samples from the existing Health Survey England.
- Known as 'forever chemicals' because they resist environmental breakdown, PFAS have been used since the 1940s in non-stick cookware, cosmetics, and food packaging; these substances enter the human body after leaking into soil and water supplies.
- Dr. Edward Wynne-Evans, Director of Radiation, Chemicals, Climate and Environmental Hazards at UKHSA, stated the study aims to 'build an evidence base' regarding health impacts, though routine PFAS blood testing is not currently recommended due to lacking clinical interventions.
- Calling the study a 'sign that the PFAS Plan is starting to move from words to action,' Sian Sutherland, Co-Founder of A Plastic Planet, welcomed the move but urged regulatory measures, arguing families cannot wait for perfect certainty while exposure continues.
- Initial findings from the biomonitoring programme are expected in 2027, while the UKHSA collaborates with international partners to monitor emerging research on these persistent substances despite current evidence suggesting limited health impacts.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Bournemouth Echo
Major study of PFAS 'forever chemicals' in people's bodies launched in UK
UKHSA is analysing survey samples for PFAS and other chemicals, with initial biomonitoring findings expected in 2027.
UKHSA to test blood and urine samples to assess PFAS exposure
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is to analyse blood and urine samples from across the UK to establish how much exposure the population has to PFAS and other potentially harmful chemicals. The human biomonitoring study will use samples collected through the existing Health Survey England and will also test…
PFAS Forever Chemicals: Large-Scale Study of UK Population Exposure
The UK Health and Safety Authority (UKHSA) is launching the government’s first investigation into levels of “forever chemicals” in the British population. Blood and urine samples will be used to assess exposure to PFAS and other contaminants, including lead and arsenic, with initial results expected next year. The study aims to improve understanding of the [...]
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