We’re proud to have recently started a partnership with the Marine Conservation Society – the UK’s leading marine conservation charity.

 

At Triton Showers, we are concerned about what gets washed down the plugs in our bathrooms and what impact that has on the environment. By partnering with the Marine Conservation Society, we want to help shine a spotlight on how we can better look after our environment from our own bathrooms.

 

Lara Ellis, Corporate Partnerships Manager said ‘we are delighted to be partnering with Triton Showers who are in a unique position to amplify our messaging on how we can reduce our dependency on single use plastics in the bathroom and be aware of the chemicals we use – which can find their way in to our beautiful marine environment’.

 

The Marine Conservation Society have recently launched a campaign on PFAS. What’s PFAS? Here’s the Marine Conservations Society’s, Policy & Advocacy Manager, Dr. Francesca Bevan to explain. 

PFAS – Forever Chemicals

You are most probably aware of the impacts of plastic in the ocean, but did you know there are other things, invisible chemicals, that also don’t break down in the environment? We can’t see them, but they’re there and they’re wreaking havoc.

 

One such group of chemicals are PFAS, also called the ‘forever chemicals’. As their nickname suggests, they don’t break down and last ‘forever’ in the environment. But what exactly are PFAS? Their full chemical name is per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, they are a family of chemically similar substances that have waterproofing, grease proofing and stain resistant properties. So, as you can probably imagine, they have a lot of uses. Everything from cosmetics to greaseproof takeaway boxes and firefighting foam to your waterproof coat possibly contains PFAS. If you’ve ever heard of Teflon, PFOA or PTFE then you have heard of a PFAS!

 

PFAS are able to get into the environment in a number of different ways, but if you use cosmetics containing PFAS in the shower, they are washed down the drain and off to a water treatment facility. Unfortunately, PFAS can’t be removed easily from wastewater so they are ultimately released into the environment and have been found in rivers, seawater and even drinking water.

 

So, why do the Marine Conservation Society care about PFAS?  Over time, anything that can’t break down, persists and builds up (or accumulates) impacting the environment and wildlife more and more. PFAS have been shown to impact bottlenose dolphins in the USA, where links were shown between increased levels of PFAS and effects on immune, blood, kidney and liver function. PFAS exposure has also been linked to impacts on the immune function of sea otters, neurological impacts in polar bears as well as negative effects on fish and seabirds.  This additional burden on wildlife is ultimately impacting their resilience and their chances of survival, which is why chemical pollution has been dubbed one of the key factors in the current biodiversity crisis. My work, as the chemical pollution specialist at MCS, is to bring PFAS and the need for more regulations to the forefront. This includes collaborating on briefings with key scientists and other NGOs on the impacts and challenges we face with chemical pollution in the UK. You can see these briefings and papers on our website.

 

My overall aim is to see PFAS removed from all non-essential uses, and to achieve that- we need to influence everyone from businesses, Governments, procurements departments and industry and to see these phased out as soon as possible.

 

Dr. Francesca Bevan, Marine Conservations Society’s, Policy & Advocacy Manager (Chemicals)