Toxic 'forever chemicals' found in England and Wales' otters, study says
The "widespread pollution" has been linked to human health problems
Last updated 26th Jan 2022
'Forever chemicals' that can be damaging to human health have been found in otters across England and Wales, a study says.
The study, from Cardiff University's Otter Project, says the chemicals are toxic and causing "widespread pollution" to British freshwater.
Called 'forever chemicals' due to their environmental persistence, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have been linked to both human and wildlife health problems.
Most of the PFASs were found in Eurasian otters associated with wastewater treatment works or sewage sludge farming, which present a "significant and concerning" route into rivers.
Eurasian otters are top predators of British freshwaters, and provide a good indicator of the levels of PFASs in local environments.
An epidemic among otters
In Cardiff University's study, PFASs were found in the livers of all 50 otters analysed, while 12 different PFASs were found in over 80% of them.
Emily O’Rourke, a PhD student and lead author of the study, said: “PFASs are a large family of synthetic chemicals used in consumer products for their oil and water-repelling properties, in food packaging, non-stick cookware, waterproof clothing, stain resistant products, paints and fire retardants, amongst other things.
“They’re known as ‘forever chemicals’ because their strong carbon-fluorine structure means they don’t break down easily in the environment. In recent years there have been efforts to phase these chemicals out, but they remain ubiquitous because of their environmental persistence.”
Dr Elizabeth Chadwick, Principal Investigator on the Otter Project, said:
“By studying chemical contaminants found in otters we can understand the relative levels in the environment and the potential health risks to both wildlife and humans. We encourage the public to continue reporting otters found dead so that our research can continue.”