Revealed: scale of ‘forever chemical’ pollution across UK and Europe

Major mapping project reveals PFAS have been found at high levels at thousands of sites

• What are PFAS, how toxic are they and how do you become exposed?
• Buncefield: the PFAS legacy of biggest fire in peacetime Europe'

Pollutants known as forever chemicals", which don't break down in the environment, build up in the body and may be toxic, have been found at high levels at thousands of sites across the UK and Europe, a major mapping project has revealed.

The map shows that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a family of about 10,000 chemicals valued for their non-stick and detergent properties, have made their way into water, soils and sediments from a wide range of consumer products, firefighting foams, waste and industrial processes.