Summary
The UK Health Security Agency plans to assess population exposure to PFAS using blood and urine samples, alongside chemicals including lead and arsenic. Initial findings are expected in 2027.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) plans to examine population exposure to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) using blood and urine samples. The study will also look at other chemicals, including lead and arsenic, with initial findings expected in 2027.
What the study will examine
PFAS are a large group of chemicals often referred to as “forever chemicals”. The planned study will assess how much people in the UK have been exposed to them at a population level. Blood and urine samples will provide the measurements for that assessment.
A population-level picture of exposure can help public health officials understand how widespread contact with these chemicals may be. The announcement does not describe the study’s sampling design or how exposure measurements will be linked to particular health outcomes, so its stated focus is on examining exposure and potential health effects.
What is known about possible health effects
UKHSA says the existing evidence on PFAS and health effects is limited. The strongest data currently available indicate possible links with raised cholesterol concentrations and lower birth weight. These are potential associations, not settled evidence that PFAS exposure causes either outcome.
The planned study is intended to add information about exposure in the UK population. Its initial findings are expected in 2027; until then, the announcement provides no new measurements of UK exposure.