Commons committee heard from residents of Yorkshire town with the highest levels of ‘forever chemicals’ in UK
On 15 January, members of the House of Commons environmental audit committee (EAC) visited Bentham, the North Yorkshire town that has the highest levels of Pfas contamination in the UK.
Colloquially known as “forever chemicals”, Pfas (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) do not naturally degrade or decompose. This persistence gives them special properties with useful applications in both industrial and consumer products.
But it also means that once discarded, they accumulate in nature – and in the bodies of living things. The effects of this bioaccumulation are still not fully understood, but a growing body of evidence links it to cancers, immune suppression, infertility and developmental problems.
MPs heard from residents with cancer who wondered if the high levels of Pfas in their blood was linked to their ill health. Others wondered if foraging local food and fishing in the nearby river had left them exposed. The worst part, they heard, was not knowing the impact the chemicals were having on the community.
