Blood tests have revealed elevated levels of the cancer-causing chemical PFOA in dozens of residents living near a chemical factory in Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire, in the United Kingdom.
The residents were told they could face an increased risk of serious health conditions linked to the substance, which belongs to a group of chemicals known as PFAS, commonly referred to as “forever chemicals” because they persist in the environment for long periods.
The area has been under investigation by the Environment Agency over contamination of soil and locally grown food.
Investigators believe the pollution was likely linked to the nearby AGC Chemicals factory, which used PFOA to produce coatings for non-stick frying pans until 2012.
Among those tested were Sam and her husband, who live in the community. Both were informed that their PFOA levels could put them at increased risk, but Sam said she was particularly distressed by her son’s result.
“When we opened the results…it was like, my God, that is ridiculously off the scale.
“I feel guilty because I’ve introduced [my children] to that way of life. I know it isn’t my fault, but the guilt is horrific. Knowing that I’ve offloaded what levels I probably had over the years into those children when I breastfed them – that’s heartbreaking,” she said.
PFOA is one of thousands of PFAS chemicals used in products because of their resistance to water and oil.
The chemical has been banned in the UK since 2020 after the World Health Organisation classified it as a Group 1 carcinogen, meaning there is sufficient evidence that it can cause cancer.
Tests carried out by the Environment Agency and Wyre Council since 2024 found elevated levels of PFOA in soil, eggs and vegetables grown locally.
Two allotment sites have been closed and are expected to be designated contaminated land, while residents living within 1km of the factory have been advised to peel fruit and vegetables grown in their gardens.
The tests were conducted independently by Manchester Metropolitan University after residents requested blood testing. Forty-nine people volunteered for the testing, which was funded by investigative journalists Watershed and Law for Change.
Andrew Molloy, one of the residents tested, was placed in the highest-risk category despite not eating produce from his garden.
He said he had expected his result to be normal.
“I was half expecting it to be just normal,” he said.
“Because the investigation here has all been focused on – you’re only really being at risk if you eat fruit and veg from the garden or grow your own eggs – which I don’t.”
Molloy’s home was built on land that was previously part of the factory site. He said he took part in the testing because of concerns about persistent health problems in his family.
“One of the first things I’m going to do is take [the results] to my GP and at least get it on my record. They seem to refuse to do anything related to this, but now I have hard information and data,” he said.
Another resident, Mario Panteli, said his result left him shaken and concerned about his children.
“I bought a property, assuming that this is our forever home. I’m going to have to stop my children from going in the garden, front and back. I feel constricted, like I’m in a cage now,” he said.
Dr David Megson of Manchester Metropolitan University, who conducted the testing, said the results were concerning.
“To me, it shows something seriously wrong has happened to that community in that area, that the levels were far higher than anything we would have ever expected to see in the general population.”
Of the 49 residents tested, 70 per cent had readings that, under guidelines used in the United States and Germany, could put them at increased risk of adverse health effects.
Potential health effects associated with elevated PFOA exposure include reduced thyroid function, kidney and testicular cancer, high cholesterol, pre-eclampsia and ulcerative colitis.
However, having elevated levels of the chemical does not mean an individual will necessarily develop any of the conditions.
The UK currently has no recommended acceptable level of PFAS in human blood.
The UK Health Security Agency has also said routine PFAS monitoring is not recommended because such tests are unlikely to provide clear information for individuals.
More than 100 residents are now considering legal action against AGC Chemicals over the contamination.
Leigh Day lawyer Sarah Moore, who represents some residents, said claims could include losses relating to property values, use of land and potential health risks.
The case, she said, could become the first community legal action in the UK over contamination involving forever chemicals.
The Thornton-Cleveleys factory began operating in the 1950s, when ICI manufactured non-stick coating using PFOA. AGC Chemicals acquired the site in 1999 and continued using the substance until 2012, when it switched to another chemical, EEA-NH4.
That chemical was also detected in the blood of 10 residents tested.
AGC Chemicals said the site had manufactured chemicals long before the company was established and noted that the wider investigation was still ongoing.
The company also said the factory would close later this year after determining that there was no “viable solution to keep the site operating in the context of a volatile and competitive market”.
Dr Steve Hajioff, a public health specialist who was not involved in the testing, said PFOA levels may have been higher in the past because the factory stopped using the substance in 2012.
He said the levels found were associated with increased risks of serious health conditions, but noted that the actual risk to an individual could remain low for rare diseases.
Wyre Borough Council said it would continue seeking updated advice from health agencies as more evidence on PFAS becomes available.
Researchers have called for wider blood testing to determine how extensively the chemical has affected the surrounding community.
