On Tuesday this week, CHEM Trust, UK Youth for Nature and the Marine Conservation Society held an event in UK Parliament on ‘forever chemicals’ PFAS, sponsored by Anna Gelderd, MP for South East Cornwall.

A group of young people from UK Youth for Nature, the UK’s leading youth movement calling for urgent action on the nature crisis, met with MPs to highlight the impacts of PFAS on marine and freshwater wildlife in the UK.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a family of over 10,000 highly persistent synthetic chemicals. They are often called the ‘forever chemicals’, because they do not break down easily in the environment. They have also been detected in the UK’s most iconic wildlife species such as otters, harbour porpoises, freshwater fish and seabirds. Not a single river in England is in good chemical health due to a cocktail of chemicals, including highly persistent chemicals such as PFAS.

MPs from across the political spectrum attended the event to hear about the impact of PFAS, including personalised information about the species contaminated with PFAS in or near their constituencies.

Some young people were able to meet their own MPs and directly raise with them their concern about local impacts, such as PFAS found in harbour porpoises in Cardigan Bay.

One of the young people from UK Youth for Nature, Aalhad Kulkarni, said:

“It was fantastic to be part of such an inspiring event at Parliament. Meeting MPs and helping to spread awareness about PFAS pollution felt incredibly empowering. There’s a clear need and growing political will to restrict the use and manufacture of PFAS in the UK to better protect people, nature and the environment.”

CHEM Trust, UK Youth for Nature and Marine Conservation Society are urging the UK Government to commit to matching the EU’s proposed ban on the use and manufacture of all PFAS to address pollution at source.

With thanks to Anna Gelderd, UK Youth for Nature and the Marine Conservation Society for making the event such a success.

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