Professor Luisa Orsini champions environmental innovation in UK Parliament

University of Birmingham’s Professor Luisa Orsini recently addressed the UK Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee, offering expert insights into the risks and remediation challenges posed by Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), a group of persistent synthetic chemicals often referred to as “forever chemicals.”

Representing both her academic role as Professor of Evolutionary Systems Biology and Environmental Omics and her entrepreneurial leadership as CEO and Co-founder of Daphne Water Solutions, Professor Orsini brought a dual perspective to the inquiry held on 10 September 2025. Her contributions underscored the urgent need for scientific innovation, regulatory reform, and collective responsibility in tackling PFAS contamination across the UK. This message was compounded by the urgency for action.

Understanding the PFAS Challenge

PFAS are widely used in products ranging from firefighting foams to non-stick cookware, upholstery, food packaging and rainproof clothing. Their resistance to degradation has led to widespread environmental and health concerns. Professor Orsini highlighted several key challenges in managing PFAS:

• Persistence and Ubiquity: PFAS has high persistence in all environmental matrices and animal tissue. Its widespread use across industries causes diffuse contamination.

• Chemical Complexity: There are thousands of PFAS variants (roughly 10,000), each with different properties. Moreover, their interaction with other pollutants complicates source identification and responsibility assignment.

• Remediation Difficulties: Removing PFAS often requires extreme conditions, which are not always feasible or sustainable.

• Responsibility: because of their ubiquity and persistence, it is challenging to pin responsibility on producers

A Call for Modernised Toxicity Testing

One of Professor Orsini’s most compelling arguments was the need to modernise toxicity testing. She criticised traditional methods that rely on lethal dose assessments, advocating instead for New Approach Methodologies (NAMs). These advanced techniques use biomolecular responses - such as gene expression and metabolite changes - to assess the impact of contaminants at environmentally relevant concentrations.

“This is high throughput, more sensitive, and allows us to identify functions impacted across species, including potential human health risks,” she explained.

Towards Collective Responsibility

Professor Orsini also addressed the issue of accountability in PFAS contamination. While chemical fingerprinting can sometimes pinpoint sources, she emphasised that most cases involve diffuse pollution, requiring a tiered responsibility model. She called for:

• Stronger regulation and enforcement

• Government and industry collaboration

• Public awareness and shared responsibility

Drawing on international examples, she referenced the US Superfund model and litigation cases like DuPont’s, suggesting that a hybrid approach could be effective in the UK.

Bridging Science and Policy

Professor Orsini’s testimony exemplifies the University of Birmingham’s commitment to translational research and societal impact. Her work not only advances scientific understanding of environmental pollutants but also informs policy and drives innovation in sustainable water treatment through her start-up, Daphne Water Solutions.

As the UK grapples with the legacy and future risks of PFAS, voices like Professor Orsini’s are vital in shaping a healthier, more sustainable future.

Read the Environmental Audit Committee transcript and watch Parliament TV for Professor Orsini’s full contribution in Parliament.