Removing 'Forever Chemicals' : Don't Worry the Brits Will Drink Them!

Per and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are the 'forever chemicals', so-called because they fail to break down in the environment. PFAS are a large family of synthetic substances, used to make a variety of products (pans, carpets, clothes, fast food containers etc) stain, water and/or stick-resistant. Although these chemicals are now almost environmentally ubiquitous, they have been linked to a variety of medical conditions in both human neonates and adults. Authorities in the US are so concerned, they are are planning further reductions in legal limits for PFAS. It now transpires, however, that the drinking tapwater for many UK folk, has PFAS levels some 25 times higher than is currently legal in the US (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/16/uk-ministers-under-pressure-to-tighten-laws-on-forever-chemicals-in-drinking-water). This appears to be yet another example of the UK government's failure to insist that the country's privatised Water Companies deliver an acceptable service. Water companies don't fix their leaks. They fail to build greater storage facilities. They save money, by pouring untreated sewage into the rivers and coastal waters. And, now, they risk the health of their customers by providing a contaminated product. The Water Companies can, however, pay their CEO's enormous bonuses and provide great shareholder dividends.