Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination of agricultural land.

There is no formal Government assessment of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in agricultural land in England. The Environment Agency has undertaken some analysis of PFAS in soils as part of a work programme to examine the impacts of land spreading in England. Perfluorooctanoic acid and Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, two PFAS substances which are designated Persistent Organic Pollutants, were tested in 96 soil samples collected from fields across England. None were present.

Defra and the Environment Agency, working closely with other regulators, have set up a coordinated programme of work on PFAS to develop our management approach. This initiative will help to assess levels occurring in the environment, their sources, and the potential risks, to inform future policy and regulatory approaches. As part of the new UK REACH Work Programme, Defra has asked the Environment Agency and the Health and Safety Executive to examine the risks posed by PFAS and develop a Regulatory Management Options Analysis.