£2M UKRI Project To Tackle 'Forever Chemicals' Pollution In UK River Wildlife

A groundbreaking new project, UNSaFE, has been launched to tackle major knowledge gaps regarding forever chemicals that contaminate our waterways.

UNSaFE (UNderstanding the Scale, Sources, Fate and Effects of PFAS pollution), is led by Imperial College London in partnership with Brunel University London, King’s College London, and UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), has been launched to tackle major knowledge gaps regarding per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often referred to as “forever chemicals” that contaminate our waterways. Running from 2025-2029, the project also benefits from critical input from the Environment Agency and the citizen science organisation, Earthwatch.

With an estimated 15,000 PFAS chemicals thought to exist, only 63 have been detected worldwide, meaning that the true scale of contamination remains largely unknown. Many PFAS are resistant to natural degradation and can accumulate in aquatic organisms, posing risks to both ecosystems and human health.

In the UK, for example, over 90% of surface waters downstream of wastewater treatment plants have been found to exceed environmental quality standards for a single PFAS compound, perfluoro-octanoic acid.

Professor Leon Barron, Project Lead at the Environmental Research Group at Imperial College London's School of Public Health, said: “PFAS are among the most complex and persistent emerging pollutants we face. Through UNSaFE, we have a unique opportunity to build a national picture of their sources, scale, and effects by combining cutting-edge science with citizen-led monitoring. This project will give regulators and policymakers the evidence they need to take timely, informed action to protect the environment.”

The UNSaFE project will:

• Develop and apply new broad-scope laboratory testing methods to monitor PFAS in both water and wildlife
• Co-develop a nationwide PFAS monitoring programme with the Environment Agency, academic partners, and large-scale citizen science initiatives such as Earthwatch
• Investigate how PFAS structures determine persistence, mobility, and bioaccumulation
• Use cutting-edge multi-omics approaches to better understand PFAS impacts on organisms
• Establish science-based thresholds to protect sensitive ecosystems

In alignment with the NERC Digital Strategy 2021–2030, UNSaFE will apply innovative, scalable technologies ranging from 3D-printed technologies, to high-resolution mass spectrometry and AI-driven modelling tools to build a national capacity for PFAS risk assessment. Importantly, over 3000 people in the UK will be engaged through national-scale “Water Blitz” events, empowering citizens to contribute directly to monitoring efforts by bringing critical local knowledge to the project.

Dr Gareth Roberts from the Department of Earth Science and Engineering at Imperial, said, “Longer-term, we will use our mathematical and chemical toolkits to determine the precise sources of contaminants in waterways globally. Understanding where chemicals come from and how they move through the environment is crucial for understanding and reducing their impacts on the health of humans, animals, and the environment."

This collaboration between leading UK universities, the Environment Agency, and the public will create a step-change in how PFAS are understood and managed nationally. By integrating citizen science with next-generation digital and analytical tools, UNSaFE will ensure that regulators and policymakers are equipped with the evidence they need to safeguard the environment and limit further PFAS impacts.

Dr Sasha Woods from the project partners at Earthwatch Europe said, “The UNSaFE project is an ambitious step toward tackling PFAS pollution in our waterways. Earthwatch Europe is excited to engage volunteers across the UK through our Great UK WaterBlitz campaigns, using citizen-generated data to strengthen national monitoring and advance cutting-edge science”.