UK Residents Show High Levels of Cancer-Causing Chemical Near Factory

Dozens of residents living near a chemical factory in Lancashire, UK, have reportedly been found with 'high levels' of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a cancer-causing forever chemical, according to reports.

Residents of Thornton-Cleveleys have been alerted that PFOA exposure puts them at risk of serious illness. Of the 49 residents tested, nearly 70 percent showed levels that could put them at increased risk of adverse health effects, based on guidelines from the US and Germany, as the UK does not currently have recommendations for acceptable PFAS levels in people.

One individual reportedly registered the highest level of a synthetic chemical in their blood ever recorded in the UK. The Environment Agency and Wyre Council have been investigating the area near the AGC Chemicals factory since 2024, finding elevated levels of PFOA in soil, eggs, and locally grown vegetables.

PFOA is a man-made substance that does not break down easily in the environment. It has been banned in the UK since 2020 and is classified by the World Health Organization as a Group 1 carcinogen, indicating evidence of its link to increased cancer risk.

Sam, a resident whose family was informed they are at increased risk, expressed distress over the findings. "When we opened the results... it was like, my God, that is ridiculously off the scale," she told the BBC. "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."

Andrew Molloy, who discovered he was in the highest-risk category, stated he was "half expecting" normal results, having previously heard suggestions that only those consuming produce from their gardens were at risk. Mr. Molloy's home is situated on land that was formerly part of the factory site, and he sought testing due to persistent health issues within his family.

Marion Panteli described feeling "constricted, like I'm in a cage now" and the necessity of preventing her children from playing in their garden due to the contamination concerns.

More than 100 residents are reportedly considering legal action against AGC Chemicals to seek damages for the contamination.

The AGC Chemicals factory manufactured coatings for frying pans until 2012. The company has stated that the multi-agency investigation is ongoing and that no formal determination of land contamination has been made. AGC Chemicals also noted that the site manufactured chemicals long before the company was established. Earlier in September 2026, AGC Chemicals announced the factory's closure later this year, citing a lack of a "viable solution to keep the site operating in the context of a volatile and competitive market."