The Rivers Trust (the national charity that takes care of our rivers) says that one of the biggest risks to river health in England are ‘forever chemicals’. These end up in our rivers when washed down sinks and drains, and affect fish (salmon stocks are now at their lowest ever levels) as well as many marine creatures (that also suffer from reduced fish stocks – say river otters and kingfishers).
PFAs are thought to be particularly of concern for pregnant women and their babies, and can also cause infertility, as well as development issues. Other health issues of concern with PFAs are high cholesterol, ulcerative colitis and cancers of the thyroid, testes and kidney.
Examples of where PFAs are common are:
- Teflon (and some other) frying pans
- Nonstick baking parchment paper
- Bike lubricant oil
- Waterproof clothing
- School uniforms (sometimes have Teflon)
- Fire-fighting foams
- Food packs (pizza boxes, popcorn bags)
- Glues and paper coating
A recent investigation found that almost all rivers in England now have levels of PFAs that would not pass proposed EU standards, if we were still in the European Union. And around half of the site exceeded ‘safe levels’ by over five times (some by up to 20 times).
Does Your Food Packaging have PFAs?
Pesticide Action Network recently found that many common UK foods contain PFAs, often in non-organic produce (tomatoes, spinach, cherries and grapes) and spices. 95% of 120 strawberry samples also contained them (not surprising, considering strawberries are one of the so-called ‘dirty dozen’ fruits that are mostly sprayed with chemicals, unless certified organic).
PFAs are used in food packaging, to prevent oil and grease soaking through. So major culprits are pizza boxes and takeaway containers (even some ‘compostable’ ones. PFAs Free has a Bead Test that you can do yourself, to see if the packaging you bought contains forever chemicals (if so, then don’t buy again and write to companies, explaining why).
Use a pencil to dip into an eggcup with a little olive oil, then drop a few drops of oil onto the packaging. If the oil soaks through or spreads, there is no PFAs. If the oil remains on top ‘beading’, then it has forever chemicals. Use their email template to write the company concerned.
For food, shop organic to avoid PFAs on fresh produce. Make your own vegan cheesy popcorn (Namely Marley) to avoid PFA bags of popcorn. The easy way to avoid PFAs on pizza boxes is to make your own vegan pizza.
Keep recipe ingredients away from young children & pets (popcorn is a choking hazard, and fresh dough can expand in the stomach).
PFAs Are Now Absolutely Everywhere
The small Yorkshire market town of Bentham (set on the banks of River Wenning) has recently been found to be the town in the UK with the highest concentration of forever chemicals. Not surprising when we learn that a local factory here has been producing fire-fighting foams since the 70s.
One professor of environmental pollution at Liverpool University read the report, and said this was the ‘highest concentrations of total PFAs that I have ever come across in any environment, in England’. And said it was even more concerning, that the pollution stats were not from the foam production itself, but from groundwater.
And it doesn’t stop there. High levels of PFAs have now been found in the Brazilian rainforest, showing these chemicals are travelling at an alarming rate, even to places that don’t use them. And considering this area has a huge percentage of our native wildlife (including some critically endangered species), the forever chemicals could even cause some species to go extinct, if they have the same development issues in animals, as in humans. Sea spray has also caused PFAs to even travel as far as Antarctica.
There is not enough regulation. The EU is presently considering restricting thousands of PFAs, but of course there are huge vested interests, often from some of the world’s biggest companies. That often have a lot of political power, by paying lobbyists to influence policy. The Rivers Trust want a complete ban on nearly all PFAs, with much stricter regulation on the few that would likely remain.
Nontoxic Alternatives to PFA Fry Pans
GreenPan offers non-stick alternatives to PFA cookware and frypans. Their products are expensive (look for sale bargains) but designed to last years, and use a nontoxic sand-based alternative for the same non-stick results.
These pans work a bit differently. As they distribute heat more evenly, you need less heat. Also use softer silicone or wood tools, and a high-smoke point oil (avoid spray oils, as the tiny particulates will quickly burn). Clean pans with hot water, biodegradable dishwash liquid and a plastic-free cloth or sponge.
Unlike website information, these products are not safe near birds. All cooking fumes are dangerous to birds. If you have caged birds near kitchens (likely kinder to build an aviary), know toxins to avoid near feathered friends.
If You Care is a range of parchment paper and cupcake cakes, free from the usual nontoxic coatings, and sold in cardboard packaging. This company also makes non-stick roasting bags, and non-stick sandwich/baguette bags (ideal for sandwich shops). Stock up online.
Nontoxic Alternative to PFA bike oil
Green Oil is a brand of bike care products, all free from PFAs. Some bike shops even let you ‘take back your empties’ to get discounts on future purchases. The range includes bike cleaners, chain degreaser and bike lube. The bottles are made from recycled plastic.
Nontoxic Alternative to PFA Waterproof Clothing
Labo Mono is a quality range of waterproof rain jackets for men or women, designed without the usual forever chemicals, and designed to be wipe-clean, to avoid synthetic materials leaching microplastics into the sea. These jackets are in a wide range of colours (plain or patterned) with clever features like invisible pockets and stowaway hoods.
Nontoxic Alternative to School Uniforms
EcoOutfitters is the main brand of organic cotton school clothing, nearly all made from organic cotton (for socks or other items containing synthetic fibres, launder in a microplastic catcher). You can also find organic cotton school uniform alternatives at Eczema Clothing.
Nontoxic Alternative to Firefighting Foams
This website covers the serious issue of PFAs in fire-fighting foams. Obviously we need to have good products, but there are ways to do this, without forever chemicals. Of course considering the health risks, many firefighters would prefer not to use PFAs either. Cancer is now a leading cause of death in firefighters, some believe due to these foams.
Greenfire Firefighting Foam is the world’s first PFAS-free alternative which can be used with the same equipment and is currently used and trusted by many fire departments, and has been successfully tested by (US) government. It requires approval for use in fixed systems and is suitable for fire engines, foam tenders, compressed air foam systems and fire sprinklers.
