{"id":434823,"date":"2026-05-19T10:05:07","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T10:05:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/434823\/"},"modified":"2026-05-19T10:05:07","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T10:05:07","slug":"high-levels-of-toxic-forever-chemicals-found-off-coast-of-southern-england-marine-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/434823\/","title":{"rendered":"High levels of toxic \u2018forever chemicals\u2019 found off coast of southern England | Marine life"},"content":{"rendered":"

Scientists have found high levels of toxic Pfas, or \u201cforever chemicals\u201d<\/a>, in soil, water and throughout the marine food chain in the UK\u2019s Solent strait, including at protected environmental sites, according to a new study<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In some samples, pollution was 13 times the safe threshold for coastal waters. Others, which were below legal limits for individual chemicals, failed tests for combined toxicity.<\/p>\n

The samples were taken from the Solent strait, which runs between the Isle of Wight<\/a> and the mainland, forming part of the Channel. The chemicals are thought to have entered the environment from wastewater treatment plants, sewage outflows, historic landfills and nearby military sites.<\/p>\n

Researchers said their findings highlighted the need to monitor chemicals in combination and to make a blanket ban on Pfas<\/a> part of the government\u2019s water reform agenda.<\/p>\n

Prof Alex Ford, a biologist at the University of Portsmouth<\/a> and one of the study\u2019s authors, said: \u201cIf there was an oil spill in the Solent that industry would have to pay for the restoration of those habitats, but that doesn\u2019t happen with sewage.<\/p>\n

But he added: \u201cThis is one thing I don\u2019t necessarily pin on the water companies because they don\u2019t have the capacity to treat these compounds. That\u2019s why they should be banned at source.\u201d<\/p>\n

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (Pfas) are a family of chemicals used for their long-lasting qualities in various industries and household products including non-stick cookware, food packaging and waterproof clothing.<\/p>\n

They are often known as \u201cforever chemicals\u201d because they are not easily broken down and have been linked to a range of diseases<\/a> in humans and wildlife by scientists.<\/p>\n

A sewage outlet pipe on Eastney beach, Portsmouth. Water utilities cannot remove Pfas so the EU is imposing a blanket ban. The UK said it would consult on setting limits. Photograph: Alamy<\/p>\n

Researchers analysed government data, testing at water utilities, and their own samples from a dozen species of fish, seaweed and invertebrates. They found Pfas were entering the Solent in treated effluent from wastewater plants in Portsmouth and Fareham operated by Southern Water, the utility that provides drinking water and sewerage for Kent, Sussex, Hampshire<\/a> and the Isle of Wight.<\/p>\n

The study also mapped 194 combined sewer overflow outfalls and more than 500 nearby historic landfills that researchers believe could also contribute to the pollution.<\/p>\n

Some of the samples taken from marine wildlife contained individual chemicals above existing safe legal limits, including in the livers of harbour porpoises. Far more failed a newer European Union test for combined toxicity, which weighs the relative potency of Pfas combined.<\/p>\n

All but seven of English surface waters tested fail the combined test<\/a>, as would a number of remote lochs and burns in Scotland<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think our story is specific to the Solent,\u201d Ford said. \u201cI think we would see a pattern all around the UK.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Southern Water<\/a> spokesperson agreed on the need for new legislation \u201cto restrict or ban certain chemicals\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cTackling the presence of these chemicals is a challenge for society as a whole,\u201d they said. \u201cThe most sustainable solution is to meet the problem at source \u2026 and keep [the chemicals] out of pipes and the environment in the first place.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite Pfas\u2019 persistence in the environment, evidence shows that restricting their use can be effective<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The EU is moving towards a blanket Pfas ban, probably with some exceptions for medicine and other critical uses. The British government said it would consult on setting limits for the chemicals and carry out further tests when its own Pfas plan<\/a> was published in February, promising a \u201cframework \u2026 to understand where these chemicals are coming from, how they spread and how to reduce public and environmental exposure\u201d.<\/p>\n

However, the Marine Conservation Society<\/a>, which funded the Solent study, said: \u201cWe need to go further and faster.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not good enough to plan to have a plan,\u201d said Calum Duncan, head of policy at the environmental charity. \u201cWe urgently need action and we have this once-in-a-generation opportunity with the water reform process to get on and do that.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Scientists have found high levels of toxic Pfas, or \u201cforever chemicals\u201d, in soil, water and throughout the marine…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":434824,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[273,111,139,69,147],"class_list":["post-434823","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-environment","tag-environment","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-science"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/434823","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=434823"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/434823\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/434824"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=434823"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=434823"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=434823"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}