MPs launch PFAS inquiry

The Environmental Audit Committee has launched a new inquiry into addressing the risks from Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) – a family of more than 14,000 manmade chemicals with useful properties such as being resistant to heat, water, oil and grease, but which do not break down and potentially pose risks to human health and the environment.

Members will consider whether enough is being done to understand fully the risks of PFAS in the UK and whether research institutions and the Environment Agency are equipped to monitor their impact.

The Committee will also examine the UK’s regulatory framework for the use and disposal of PFAS, and will ask whether UK registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals is adequate. The inquiry will compare the UK approach to other jurisdictions around the world, such as the European Union and the US.

Written submissions are invited until 26 May on the following topics: 

Understanding the threats and benefits from using PFAS

• What benefits do PFAS provide and how widely are they used?

• To what extent are UK health and environmental regulators equipped to detect, monitor and understand the risks posed by PFAS?

• How developed is the UK’s research base on the science of PFAS and the technology required to monitor their current and future impact?

• How sophisticated is current knowledge of how and where PFAS enter the supply chain?

• What is the current understanding of how PFAS are made and then used in terms of product ranges, and geographical and socioeconomic distribution?  

• To what extent are the Environment Agency, and other relevant UK bodies and research institutions, resourced to understand the current threat posed by PFAS and to monitor their impact going forward?

The current status of measures to address PFAS

• What are the current technologies and solutions to treat PFAS pollution, how cost effective and efficient are they and do they create additional risks?

• How well equipped is the UK’s research and development (R&D) base to improve existing approaches to dealing with PFAS?

Is the current regulatory regime for PFAS fit for purpose?

• Is the current regulatory regime for the use and disposal of PFAS, including UK registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals (UK Reach), adequate? If not, how can it be improved?

• Is a precautionary approach to PFAS desirable or is an approach that uses regulation to assess their benefits and risks more appropriate?

• Is there any regulatory divergence across the UK in terms of PFAS? If so, what are the implications, and is there a need for a more joined-up approach?

• How do other jurisdictions around the world, including the EU and US, regulate PFAS use and disposal, and what lessons, if any, can the UK learn?

What lessons can the UK learn from other countries on how they monitor and treat PFAS?

• What lessons can the UK learn from other countries in terms of resourcing and supporting the detection, monitoring and treatment of PFAS pollution?

• How does the UK compare to other countries in terms of funding research and new technologies to improve outcomes?