HKA Expert Featured in Landmark Report on the Rising Risks of “Forever Chemicals”
17th February 2026
HKA is pleased to announce that environmental expert Geraint Williams has been featured as a contributing expert in a significant new report examining the rising risks, regulatory pressures, and public concern surrounding per‑ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) or their more common name, “forever chemicals.”
PFAS are used extensively across industries, from non‑stick cookware and waterproof textiles to cosmetics and industrial applications. Once praised for their durability and resistance to heat, water, and oil, PFAS are now at the centre of growing scientific, regulatory, and legal scrutiny due to their potential long‑term health impacts and persistent environmental footprint.
The report from Byfield highlights a major shift in public sentiment. Research company Obsurvant conducted the analysis in November 2025 reporting:
- 71% of people believe PFAS pollution is as serious, or more serious, than climate change
- more 50% support a full ban on PFAS in consumer products
- 43% of Britons say they would join a boycott or campaign against companies using PFAS
- over 33% of Londoners say they would support legal action
Within the report, Geraint offers expert insight into the technical and practical realities of PFAS contamination. Reflecting on the remediation challenges, noting, “The same physical and chemical properties that make PFAS so valuable in industrial and commercial applications also mean they are extremely difficult and costly to remediate.”
The report examines the evolving legal and regulatory landscape across the UK, EU, and US, drawing on consumer data, global media analysis, and interviews with experts in environmental science, risk, and litigation.
HKA continues to support organisations navigating the emerging complexities of PFAS through independent expertise in environmental risk, regulatory response, dispute resolution, and large‑scale remediation cost analysis.
To download the full report visit: The Forever Chemicals Challenge
About Geraint Williams
Geraint Williams is a leading contaminated land and PFAS expert with over 25 years of experience. He specialises in contaminated land investigation, assessment and remediation, and authored the UK’s first guidance on PFAS in soil and water environments. Geraint has acted as a technical expert in disputes up to £55 million and previously spent over 20 years with the UN Environment Programme. He chairs the AGS Contaminated Land Group and the NICOLE PFAS Analytical Working Group.
Geraint’s background includes more than two decades with the United Nations Environment Programme, where he assessed the environmental impacts of war, oil contamination, and toxic waste dumping across affected communities worldwide. This global experience underpins his deep understanding of complex environmental harm, forensic investigation, and the intersection of science, regulation, and litigation.
At HKA, Geraint works across Environmental and Forensic Engineering, Architectural & Scientific services, supporting clients in the Environment & Climate Change, Mining & Metals, and Oil & Gas sectors. He is known for delivering clear, evidence‑based expert analysis on PFAS, contaminated land, environmental liabilities, and complex technical disputes.
Geraint Williams
Associate Technical Director
Media contact
| Name | Jill Dawson |
| Title | Marketing & Communications Senior Manager |
| Number | +44 20 7618 1200 |
| jilldawson@hka.com |
