Vast swathes of the British countryside are being sprayed in pesticides containing “forever chemicals” that pollute our air, soil and waterways, and pose a threat to public health.

Lucie Heath inews.co.uk

An analysis by the environmental group Fidra, shared exclusively with i, found that pesticides containing potentially dangerous chemicals were sprayed on the equivalent of 10.7m hectares of arable farmland in 2022 – an area roughly the size of Iceland.

The pesticides contained PFAS, or per- and poly-fluorinated alkyl substances, a group of more than 10,000 industrial chemicals that studies have linked to health problems, including cancer, infertility and developmental issues.

PFAS are known as “forever chemicals” because some can take more than 1,000 years to degrade in the environment.

i has called on the next government to get to grips with chemical pollution as part of our five-point manifesto to Save Britain’s Rivers.

Hannah Evans, project manager at Fidra, told i that limited data meant it was difficult “to truly quantify the scale” of the use of pesticides containing PFAS, but said “what we do know is deeply alarming”.

Fidra analysed data published on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive showing the use of pesticides in agricultural crop sectors across the UK.

It found the equivalent of 10.7m hectares of arable land were sprayed in PFAS pesticides in the space of one year. The data includes repeated sprays of pesticide to the same area.

“This is a direct source of environmental PFAS pollution, contributing to further contamination of soil and water sources,” Ms Evans said.

The full effects of forever chemicals on humans is still little understood, but evidence has suggested they could pose a wide range of risks.

PFAS are used in various everyday products, including cookware, stain-resistant fabrics and carpets, and water-repellent clothing. They are also found in some pesticides used by farmers to protect their crops.

Studies have linked PFAS to a wide range of health problems, including, cancer, immune system disorders and fertility issues.

PFAS are also a major source of pollution in Britain’s rivers. Not a single waterway in England or Northern Ireland has been assessed as meeting “good” chemical health, with one type of PFAS, called PFOS, responsible for around half of these failures.

There are various ways PFAS can seep into our waterways, including through pesticide use on farmland.

The chemicals can then make their way into our drinking water supply and have been found in the UK’s fish and water populations.

PFAS have also been found in over half of the UK’s fruit and vegetabes, with pesticides assumed to be the main source.

Fidra is one of more than 20 environmental organisations backing i’s manifesto to Save Britain’s Rivers from chemical and other forms of pollution.

The manifesto calls on the next Government to publish the UK’s long-awaited chemicals strategy, which was initially promised in 2020, but has been repeatedly delayed.

Since Brexit, the UK has fallen behind the EU when it comes to banning of dangerous chemicals and has failed to ban 36 harmful pesticides that have been outlawed in Europe.

Ms Evans said UK farmers are facing “overwhelming pressure” and called on the next Government “to restrict PFAS use in pesticide”, while providing “long-term support for more sustainable solutions”.