Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are known as ‘forever chemicals’ due to their durability and widespread presence in the environment. Some PFAS are known to have adverse impacts on human health and the environment if concentrations are present above specific thresholds.

A new , co-authored by BGS and the Environment Agency, has revealed data around the presence of PFAS in shallow English soils that will allow scientists to better understand background concentrations. The Environment Agency commissioned the study to assess the feasibility and suitability of using archived samples at BGS to support the analysis of contemporary samples. This is part of a larger programme of work to improve understanding of the anthropogenic background concentrations of PFAS in shallow soils in England.

The results found PFAS to be present in all new and archived samples, with PFAS concentrations generally being higher in the contemporary samples. It is too early to determine if this is a result of a genuine increase in concentrations or another factor, such as the degradation of samples over time. The research does confirm the presence of these substances over this timescale, but does not attempt to assess any potential risks to human health or the environment.

Our research reveals that PFAS are widespread and persistent in the natural soils we sampled in England, which highlights the need for a comprehensive national survey. Investigating the presence and distribution of the background concentrations of artificial chemicals such as PFAS in soil is a key part of creating shared independent evidence that informs the risks they pose to people and the environment.

This study is a great example of how BGS uses its independent expertise to collaborate with Government and its agencies to create new geoscientific information and data on chemicals in soils.

Dr Darren Beriro, BGS Principal Geoscientist.

The global science on PFAS is evolving rapidly and we are working with partners, including BGS, to better understand their prevalence in our environment.

Though ongoing research is needed, the results of this study are useful for understanding how these chemicals may degrade over time.

We continue to test for PFAS in the environment, including regular testing for more than 50 different PFAS in water, and we work closely with several partners, including local authorities, to assess and manage any environmental risks from contaminated land.

Environment Agency.

The paper has highlighted the need for further research, including systematic surveying of UK soils, to investigate the distribution of PFAS concentrations and the potential impact on human health and the environment.

For more information, please contact 51ÁÔÆæ press (bgspress@bgs.ac.uk) or call 07790 607 010.

Quantity surveyors and civil engineers have until the end of July to take part in a survey that will help to improve the accuracy of indicative cost estimates for UK brownfield sites.

The 51ÁÔÆæ (BGS) is inviting as many participants from the industry as possible to take part in an that will inform research designed to improve understanding of indicative cost estimates for a range of foundation types, low-rise residential housing and engineered risk-mitigation measures.

These risks relate to potential property damage from natural and anthropogenic hazards on brownfield land, including:

• shrink–swell clays
• compressible soils
• hazardous gases
• collapse of near-surface cavities

The survey will close on 31 July 2021 and, as a thank you for taking part, BGS will randomly select ten people who complete the survey to receive a free BGS 1:50 000 geological map of their choice.

The research will build on the award-winning digital screening tool, the (BGR_calc). 

BGR_calc was co-created by BGS with Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Gateshead Council to de-risk housing delivery on brownfield land.  BGS is now working with Groundsure to enhance BGR_calc functionality and widen coverage across the whole of England. The results of the survey will feed into this work.

‘By taking part, quantity surveyors and civil engineers will help us improve the accuracy of indicative cost estimates for a range of foundation types and engineered risk mitigation measures, which can inform early-stage planning.

‘Even if you can only answer of few of the questions with confidence, we would very much value your feedback. All responses will be treated confidentially and anonymously. If you would like a summary of our findings or would be willing to contribute further to our research, there is an opportunity to leave further details with us.’

Dr Darren Beriro, BGS’s brownfield specialist.

New research will explore microorganisms with the potential to breakdown hazardous chemicals in the environment.

The 51ÁÔÆæ (BGS) will take part in a novel £70 000 research programme to support the clean up of brownfield sites using natural biological processes, in partnership with Arcadis, a leading global design and consultancy organisation for natural and built assets.

The research will be used to understand and evaluate how microorganisms naturally present in contaminated soil and groundwater can be used to bioremediate the chemical 1,4-dioxane, an emerging contaminant that is increasingly detected in groundwater and recognised as a potential risk to human health and the environment around the world.

The project is being funded by the Environmental Biotechnology Network (EBNet), with a contribution from Arcadis, and is expected to take around twelve months to complete.

We need to better understand the wide range of legacy chemicals present in post-industrial brownfield land. Many of these emerging contaminants have either previously not been looked for or detected, but they are hazardous to people and to the environment.

The more we understand them, the better we can make decisions about how to remove them from post-industrial land to make sites safe and suitable for redevelopment.

51ÁÔÆæ microbiologist Simon Gregory.

Reported health problems from short-term exposure to 1,4-dioxane include breathing problems, vertigo, drowsiness, headaches and skin irritation. Long-term exposure can lead to kidney and liver damage, and can even be fatal. 

Due to its high solubility and low degradability under some conditions, 1,4-dioxane can be a challenge to remove from soil and groundwater. However, it is known that it can be degraded by soil microorganisms possessing some types of monooxygenase enzymes, a family of enzymes that can help to breakdown a wide range of chemicals including many organic pollutants.

Dr Monica Heintz, a geoscientist at Arcadis specialising in natural attenuation and bioremediation, said: ‘While biodegradation of 1,4-dioxane has been demonstrated, the microorganisms responsible for this process remain under-characterised. This research will increase our understanding of microorganisms responsible for 1,4-dioxane biodegradation and will lead to genetic surveys that can be used to assess biodegradation of 1,4-Ddoxane at sites around the world.’

51ÁÔÆæ and Arcadis will gather information using a range of DNA-based techniques to quantify and explore the diversity of organisms that produce monooxygenase enzymes in contaminated sites and understand which enzymes are most effective at biodegradation.  

This approach to characterising natural attenuation mechanisms will allow confidence in the ability of microorganisms to detoxify 1,4-dioxane and provide a sustainable, cost-effective management solution for brownfield stakeholders.

Dr Ian Ross, Senior Technical Director at Arcadis UK.

A new digital planning tool is helping authorities to estimate the ground risk and cost of developing brownfield sites in Greater Manchester.

The Brownfields Ground Risk Calculator is designed to understand and communicate the scale of risk and cost associated with brownfield ground conditions.

It shows the scale at which potential brownfield sites are expected to be affected by soil or groundwater contamination.

It also evaluates geotechnical hazards, such as land stability and ground gases which can affect building design, and estimates the costs required to mitigate the risks.

The calculator has been developed by scientists at the 51ÁÔÆæ (BGS) in collaboration with partners Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), Gateshead Council and the Environment Agency.

The tool supports a range of uses and the Environment Agency will use the calculator to contribute to its understanding of the scale of regulatory effort required for land contamination risk management by its staff, over the next five years.

51ÁÔÆæ geoscientist, Dr Darren Beriro, says the tool has potential to help other local authorities in the UK to meet housing targets and protect green spaces more efficiently.

He said: “When developing post-industrial brownfield land, historic contamination often needs to be remediated to ensure the land will be safe, often at a significant cost to the developer or land owner.

“A closer look at brownfield sites in central Manchester for example, shows that some land is likely to be more expensive per hectare to remediate than others.

“We know that decisions made early in the planning process can affect the viability of building new homes. These are likely to be more critical given the potential impact of COVID-19 and the pandemic on budgets and the housing sector.

“By making the tool more widely available, we can help more public bodies, developers and land owners make informed decisions, early on.�

The calculator works by using over thirty publicly available environmental datasets published by BGS, the Environment Agency and The Coal Authority.

The conditions it considers go beyond those expected for typical developments, and are referred to as ‘abnormal’.

Using the data, it produces a ‘ground risk score’ and remediation cost estimate for each site, and presents it in a geographical information system (GIS).

Greater Manchester Combined Authority is working with the Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership to support the ‘Build Back Better’ campaign, an initiative which sets out to build back the economy and create a better opportunity for a strong and successful recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Murray Carr, Director of Land and Property for Greater Manchester Combined Authority, said:

“We have over 4,000 development sites in our existing housing land supply pipeline and a significant majority are on previously developed brownfield land and in sustainable locations. Due to the industrial legacy, there will be sites with contamination challenges.

“Assessing the viability of brownfields sites and likely risk from contamination will support the delivery of new homes across Greater Manchester, our partnership working with Homes England, the development industry and regulators such as the Environment Agency.�

“Our strategy centred on the creation of new homes and regeneration in places such as town centres is more than bricks and mortar. It’s about reducing inequalities, improving the lives of our residents, and post COVID-19 it building upon existing work to help us all to ‘build back better’.â€�

More information about the Brownfields Ground Risk Calculator can be found on the 51ÁÔÆæ website.