Adolescent health
Fertility-linked chemical found in nearly all UK rivers
A chemical linked to fertility problems has been found in 31 of 32 major rivers tested across the UK, raising concern over widespread environmental exposure.
The substance, trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), is part of a group known as PFAS – or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – often referred to as ‘forever chemicals’ because they can take more than 1,000 years to break down in the environment.
TFA is thought to impair reproduction and child development, and some experts are calling for it to be officially classified as toxic for reproduction.
Alistair Boxall is professor of environmental science at the University of York.
The researcher said: “This molecule is everywhere.
“We will all be drinking water containing TFA every day – so we’ll be exposed throughout our lifetime.
“It’s that long-term, low level exposure that is the big concern.”
Researchers analysed samples from 32 rivers across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, finding TFA present in 98 per cent of them.
The study included five rivers in Wales, three in Northern Ireland, 13 in Scotland and 11 in the north of England.
The highest concentration was recorded in the River Kelvin in Glasgow at 78,464 nanograms per litre – the second-highest level of TFA contamination ever reported in a river globally.
The only river without detectable TFA was the River Ness, which flows from Loch Ness to the Moray Firth.
Recent European studies have found TFA in wine, food and human blood. In Germany, levels in drinking water have increased fourfold over the past two decades.
Authorities there have asked the European Chemicals Agency to classify TFA as toxic for reproduction and harmful to the environment, citing research showing it affects foetal development in rabbits and rats.
If adopted, the classification could influence how products containing TFA are controlled.
Germany currently holds the record for the highest TFA level ever detected, with a 2016 sample from the Neckar River measuring 140,000 nanograms per litre.
TFA is a breakdown product of PFAS used in products such as pesticides and refrigerants in air conditioners.
It has also been found in a range of everyday items, including cereal, bread, pasta, personal care and cleaning products.
The study, funded by environmental charity Fidra, warns that TFA is persistent, with no viable method of removing it from the environment.
Concentrations are expected to rise.
The research team wrote: “The widespread detection of TFA in UK water samples provides compelling evidence of the presence of TFA and PFAS in UK waterways.
“These data should be further analysed to try and establish the drivers of TFA contamination in UK surface waters and routes for source control should be prioritised.”
“We urgently need a PFAS restriction to prevent further contamination of forever chemicals.”
There are currently no rules or regulations in place in the UK to identify or reduce TFA levels in the environment or drinking water.
The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI), which monitors water quality in England and Wales, has recently commissioned its own research.
Ann Bunting, principal inspector at the DWI, said: “The information signposted by the University of York suggests that TFA can be formed from the degradation of PFAS-containing pesticides.
“It is important that the fate of pesticides and other chemicals in the environment is understood, in order to protect drinking water sources.”
A spokesperson for Water UK, which represents the UK’s water companies, said: “We want to see PFAS, including TFA, banned and the development of a national plan to remove it from the environment which should be paid for by manufacturers.”
France will reimburse reusable period products for women under 26 and those on low incomes, in a move aimed at tackling period poverty.
The measure is expected to help 6.7m people, almost a tenth of France’s population of 69m, from the start of the next academic year in the autumn.
Women under 26 with a state health insurance card, as well as women of all ages who receive special healthcare support because of limited income, will be able to claim reimbursement after buying the products from a pharmacy. The cost will be covered through the country’s social security system.
Parliament approved the measure as part of the country’s social security budget for 2024. However, no decree was issued to bring it into force, prompting anger among feminist groups and companies making the sustainable sanitary items.
A survey of 4,000 women in France in November found that one in ten had used alternatives to mainstream period products, such as ripped-up clothes, because of tight budgets, according to French charity Dons Solidaires.
France cut sales tax on period products from 20 per cent to 5.5 per cent in 2016. In 2020, Scotland became the first country in the world to sign into law free universal access to period products in public buildings.
A new Female Health Hub launched by the English FA will support women and girls in grassroots football in England with trusted advice on health issues affecting play.
The hub brings together expert-backed guidance, practical tools and player insights in one place, giving women and girls practical advice and reassurance on female health in football.
It has four core aims: to help women and girls better understand their bodies and how female health affects performance and participation, to educate players on key health topics and when to seek further advice or support, to provide practical strategies to help navigate common female health challenges, and to help break down taboos and normalise conversations around female health in football.
Users of the hub will also be able to hear directly from members of the England women’s national team, who share their own experiences of navigating female health matters while playing at the highest level of the game.
“Our ambition is to create a game where women and girls can thrive,” said Sue Day, the FA’s director of women’s football.
“To achieve that, it’s essential that players feel supported in environments that understand and respond to their female health needs.
“We’ve heard directly from grassroots players that they want better information and support around female health, but that they often don’t know where to find it.
“The launch of the Female Health Hub marks an important step in changing the landscape.
“We want every player to feel confident in her own skin and supported without judgment, so she can feel empowered by her body, rather than held back by it.”
The platform was launched following research conducted by the FA that highlighted the need for better education and support around female health in football.
According to the FA, 88 per cent of adult players surveyed said their menstrual cycle has an impact on their ability to train or play, but 86 per cent reported they had never received education about the menstrual cycle in relation to football performance and training.
The research also found 64 per cent of women experience issues related to sports bras or breast health while playing football, despite sports bras being considered one of the most important pieces of playing kit.
Players also expressed strong interest in learning more about injury prevention, at 87 per cent, nutrition, at 84 per cent, and mental health, at 77 per cent, in relation to female health.
The first phase of the Female Health Hub focuses on three of the most requested topics: menstrual health, breast health and injury resilience, with further content to follow, including nutrition and pelvic health guidance.
Childhood abuse may alter gene activity in some women, raising depression risk, UK Biobank analysis suggests.
The pattern was not seen in men, suggesting the biological links between trauma and depression may differ by sex, an area of interest given higher depression rates among women.
Using data from thousands of people in the UK Biobank, the team analysed childhood experiences, mental health and genetic profiles, focusing on a gene network involved in synaptic function, the way brain cells communicate, which is disrupted in depression.
Researchers at McGill University and the Douglas Mental Health University Institute examined this network and found that, among women who experienced childhood abuse, one configuration was linked to a higher risk of depression.
Senior author Patricia Silveira is professor in McGill’s Department of Psychiatry and researcher at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute.
She said: “We know childhood abuse increases the risk of depression at the population level, but at the individual level it’s much harder to predict who will actually develop the disorder.
“Our findings point to a biological mechanism that may help explain who is more at risk, at least in women.”
The work is part of efforts to identify genomic signatures linked to depression risk, which is estimated to affect around 11 per cent of Canadian adults over their lifetime.
Our findings suggest that depression risk is shaped by how genes involved in synaptic function respond to early-life experiences.
That makes synaptic function a promising target for future research,” said co-first author Carla Dalmaz, a visiting professor at the Douglas from the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul.
“Depression is diagnosed primarily based on reported symptoms, and there are still no widely accepted biological tools in routine clinical practice to identify risk early,” added co-first author Danusa Mar Arcego, a research associate at the Douglas.
“Our findings bring us a step closer to understanding why some people may be more vulnerable, opening the door to earlier support and prevention strategies.”
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