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Results due in 2027, and the reason UKHSA will not offer you a PFAS blood test

Qurexa Editorial Team3 November 20268 min read 0 0
Results due in 2027, and the reason UKHSA will not offer you a PFAS blood test

What happened

On 3 November 2026, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) announced that it has begun a human biomonitoring study. "Biomonitoring" sounds technical, but it means something simple: measuring how much of a chemical is actually inside people's bodies. The main focus is a group of chemicals called PFAS, often called "forever chemicals" because they break down extremely slowly, so they stay in the environment, and in us, for a long time. PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. It is not one chemical but a very large family: BBC News reports more than 15,000 types. They have been used since around the 1940s and 1950s because they resist water, oil and heat. That made them useful in non-stick pans, waterproof clothing, firefighting foam and many industrial processes. Here is the part that surprises people: nobody is being asked to give a new blood sample. The study uses blood and urine samples already being collected through the Health Survey for England, a survey that has run for years. Those samples will be tested for PFAS, and also for lead, arsenic, bisphenols, phthalates and flame retardants. UKHSA says the first findings are expected in **2027**. And one line in the announcement matters more than any other for most people: **UKHSA is not currently recommending routine blood testing for PFAS.**

Why this matters

Three reasons this is worth a few minutes, even though nothing in it asks you to act today. **1. Nobody has had a clear national picture.** Until now there has been no reliable figure for a typical level of these chemicals in the UK population. That figure is called a baseline, and it works like a yardstick. Without one, you cannot tell whether a person's result, or a town's results, is unusually high or completely ordinary. This study is designed to fill that gap. **2. People are already paying for tests.** PFAS has been in the news a great deal, and some people have understandably paid privately to have their blood tested. UKHSA's announcement explains why it does not recommend that. If you were considering spending money on one, this is worth having first. **3. It is about everyone, not one area.** Much of the coverage so far has focused on communities near particular factories. This study looks at the population as a whole. It also helps to know who is behind it. UKHSA is the government agency responsible for protecting the public from health threats, and it is not working alone: the independent Committee on Toxicity is running its own detailed review, and UKHSA says it is working with international partners, including organisations across Europe.

What the evidence actually says

This is where it pays to slow down, because two respected bodies have put the emphasis in different places. Both are worth understanding. **UKHSA's position is measured.** Dr Edward Wynne-Evans, Director of Radiation, Chemicals, Climate and Environmental Hazards at UKHSA, said: "PFAS are an area of significant public interest and we understand the concerns people may have about these chemicals and what they could mean for their health." He went on: "The evidence available to date suggests that any health effects are likely to be limited. The strongest evidence from across the globe currently relates to possible associations with raised cholesterol and potentially lower birth weight, but further work is required to better understand these findings and their significance." In September 2026, UKHSA published a rapid review on people living near industrial sources of PFAS. It found a weight-of-evidence link between PFOS, and mixtures containing PFOS, and lower birthweight. For most other outcomes there were too few good studies to draw a conclusion. Its overall judgement was that the current evidence is not adequate to say whether long-term exposure causes harm. **The World Health Organization's cancer agency has been firmer about one chemical.** In November 2023, a working group at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified PFOA as "carcinogenic to humans", its Group 1 category, and PFOS as "possibly carcinogenic to humans", Group 2B. That sounds alarming, so the detail matters. An IARC classification is about hazard, not risk. It answers "can this cause cancer at some level?" It does not say how much risk you face at the levels found in ordinary life. For PFOA, the evidence judged "sufficient" came from animal studies, plus strong evidence about how it behaves in exposed people. The direct human evidence was called "limited", relating to kidney and testicular cancer. So the two positions are not really a contradiction. One says the chemical is capable of causing harm. The other says we cannot yet show that everyday UK exposure levels are doing measurable damage. Professor Tony Fletcher of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine put the everyday reality plainly to BBC News: "If we tested a random sample of anybody's blood, we would measure [PFAS] in low levels." He added, "We are not all dying because of this", while noting that higher levels across larger populations have been linked to adverse effects. His priority, he said, is stopping ongoing exposure. Government policy sits roughly where the evidence does. The PFAS Action Plan takes what it calls a precautionary approach, and some PFAS have already been restricted in certain products and uses.

Qurexa perspective

We deliver prescriptions and help people stay on top of their medicines, so we often hear what is worrying our customers before it reaches a headline. Two honest things. First, we do not sell PFAS blood tests, and having read UKHSA's reasoning we would not want to. Second, if a chemicals story has unsettled you, your community pharmacist is a free and genuinely useful first conversation, with no appointment needed for a quick question. Our one ask: please do not stop or change a prescribed medicine because of something you have read about chemicals and health. Ask first.

Practical advice

**You do not need to do anything today.** There is no alert here, no recall and no action being asked of the public. This is a research programme reporting in 2027. **If you are considering a private PFAS blood test, read this first.** Dr Wynne-Evans explained UKHSA's reasoning: "When considering any medical test, an important question is whether the result will lead to a clear clinical action or intervention." He continued: "At present, there is no established clinical intervention linked to a particular PFAS blood level. While testing can identify whether PFAS are present, there is currently insufficient evidence to determine what action should follow from a specific result. For that reason, routine testing is not recommended at this time." Put simply: a test can tell you a number, but nobody can yet tell you what to do differently because of it. The choice is still yours, but go in knowing that. **If you are worried about your health, talk to a professional.** UKHSA's advice is straightforward: anyone concerned should seek advice from their GP or healthcare professional. Start there rather than with an online test kit. **Be careful with dramatic percentages online.** While checking this story we found several commercial websites quoting striking figures for how many Britons have PFAS in their blood, credited to studies we could not find in UKHSA's own publications. Some gave different numbers on different pages. If a figure shocks you, check it against a UKHSA or NHS page first. **Put a note in your diary for 2027.** That is when the first real UK numbers are due. They will be more useful than anything available today.

What to know

- UKHSA announced on 3 November 2026 that it has started measuring PFAS and other chemicals in blood and urine samples from the UK population. - The samples come from the existing Health Survey for England, so no one is being asked to give new ones, and will also be tested for lead, arsenic, bisphenols, phthalates and flame retardants. - The aim is to establish typical background levels, the yardstick currently missing. First findings are expected in 2027. - UKHSA says any health effects are likely to be limited, with the strongest global evidence pointing to possible links with raised cholesterol and potentially lower birth weight. Further work is needed. - The WHO's cancer agency classified PFOA as carcinogenic to humans in 2023, and PFOS as possibly carcinogenic. These classifications describe hazard, not the level of risk at everyday exposures. - UKHSA does not recommend routine PFAS blood testing, because no clear clinical action currently follows from a result. - Anyone concerned about their health should speak to their GP or pharmacist. Sources: UK Health Security Agency (GOV.UK), "UKHSA launches human biomonitoring study", 3 November 2026, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ukhsa-launches-human-biomonitoring-study. UK Health Security Agency (GOV.UK), "The health impacts from industrial sources of PFAS: a rapid review", 22 September 2026, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-health-impacts-from-industrial-sources-of-pfas-a-rapid-review. International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization, "IARC Monographs evaluate the carcinogenicity of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)", 30 November 2023, https://www.iarc.who.int/news-events/iarc-monographs-evaluate-the-carcinogenicity-of-perfluorooctanoic-acid-pfoa-and-perfluorooctanesulfonic-acid-pfos. Laura Foster, BBC News, "Major study into 'forever chemicals' in people's bodies launched in UK", 3 November 2026, syndicated via Yahoo News, https://www.yahoo.com/news/science/articles/major-study-forever-chemicals-peoples-071932302.html. This article is for general information and does not replace advice from a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified healthcare professional. If you are worried about your health, or about any chemical exposure, please speak to your GP or pharmacist.

#PFAS#UKHSA#forever chemicals#public health#chemical safety#blood tests

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