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Following environmental and health concerns, the UK has announced it will increase testing for ‘forever chemicals’ in the environment as part of a nationwide plan. Critics say it fails to match the EU’s much ‘tougher’ stance.
The UK is planning to crack down on ‘forever chemicals’ with increased testing, the government has said.
‘Forever chemicals’ are known as PFAS and are in lots of regular, everyday products as they are both oil resistant and waterproof. Scientists have long been sounding the alarm on their widespread use, as they tend to accumulate and remain in our environment long after a product has been discarded.
Most alarmingly, several PFAS are known to be toxic.
‘Forever chemicals’ have been found in water, soil, air, living organisms, human blood, and food. They’re used to manufacture thousands of products, including cookware, cosmetic items, clothes, and even carpets.
Studies in 2025 found that nearly all water in England had PFAS levels above proposed safety limits, with chemicals found in dolphins, otters, porpoises, fish and birds across the UK. Given their prevalence across everyday life, environmentalists are urging governments to take action quickly.
These new plans are part of an effort to keep up with EU regulations.
The government says it will begin further testing by December 2028, with three key aims: to increase awareness of where the most harmful PFAS are, understand how they can be reduced in everyday products, and to co-operate with different industries to seek alternatives.
A new website will also be launched to raise public awareness.
It will take five years for some of the regulation changes to come into effect, the Chemicals Industries Association has said, with warnings that some industries have few alternatives currently available to replace PFAS.
Water samples tested for ‘forever chemicals’ will increase by 50% across Scotland and Wales. In England, animals along the coast and soil from five different priority areas will be tested to find specific hotspots.
Speaking to the BBC, senior lecturer in biosciences at Cardiff University, Dr Liz Chadwick, explained that ‘forever chemicals’ seep into our wider environment from a variety of sources. These include manufacturing processes, washing clothes with cleaning products, and waste sludge from water treatments.
