The researcher quoted in your disturbing report on Sweden’s Pfas (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) scandal says her work feels like trying to catch a runaway train (Poison in the water: the town with the world’s worst case of forever chemicals contamination, 19 June).
Kallinge is one of a growing list of European towns with extreme levels of Pfas. In fact, there are tens of thousands of contaminated sites. It is time to slam on the brakes. There is a lot of talk about clean-up technologies and how these might solve the problem. But relying on clean-ups is like bailing out a sinking boat with a teacup while the crew is busy drilling new holes in the hull. Legislation is urgent and essential. Indeed, Europe has a detailed plan to ban all Pfas, and with strict time limits on transitions to safe alternatives.
