Chemicals regulation in the UK is broken. Businesses, academics and the public have all told us about their problems with the current chaotic system. The most recent chemicals strategy wasn’t published this century.

We are campaigning to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. PFAS are a current issue needing urgent regulatory changes. Per or polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of over 4,700 manmade chemicals that have been used in everyday products since the 1950s – from nonstick frying pans to waterproof coats and toilet paper.

Known as ‘forever chemicals’, they do not break down and end up in the environment, and accumulate in our food and drinking water. There is an increasing body of evidence linking PFAS to a range of serious adverse health conditions including testicular cancer, thyroid disease, increased cholesterol levels, liver damage and fertility issues, as well as damaging the development of unborn children.

Two of the most commonly used PFAS, PFOS and PFOA, were banned internationally in 2009 and 2019 respectively. However, these are still found in UK drinking water – and we have been campaigning for the government to reduce the upper limits allowed by a factor of ten. A better regulatory system in the UK could help recognise and act on risks faster and more decisively, to lessen the impacts of future chemical health crises.

A national Chemicals Agency is needed to help get things back on track and help the UK on the path to becoming a science superpower.

Such a body would supercharge our ability to:
Protect human health and the environment against both short and longerterm risks across the life cycle of chemicals.

Drive innovation and economic growth by giving businesses and researchers clarity over what is required of them, adapting promptly to new developments in testing and risk mitigation, and facilitating international trade agreements.

Deliver taxpayer value for money by maximising coordination across government, with a wellresourced and skilled staff, to deliver a ‘one substance, one assessment’ approach.

Read our report at rsc.li/agency