Cancer Concerns Grow Around Lancashire Chemical Factory as Residents Test Positive for PFOA

Residents living near a chemical manufacturing site in Lancashire are facing renewed concerns over possible health effects from decades of exposure to PFOA, a so-called “forever chemical” that has been linked by scientific research to an increased risk of certain cancers.

The focus is the AGC Chemicals Europe facility at the Hillhouse industrial site in Thornton-Cleveleys, near Blackpool. The factory historically used perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, in the production of PTFE, a material widely used in products including non-stick coatings. An estimated 49 tonnes of PFOA were emitted from the facility between the 1950s and 2012, when the company stopped using the substance.

PFOA belongs to the broader group of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS. These chemicals are persistent in the environment and can remain in soil and water for long periods.

Kidney cancer findings raise concern

A government-commissioned review examined cancer registration data from 2003 to 2022 in areas within about five kilometres of the factory. The review found higher-than-expected numbers of kidney cancer cases in two areas, including one relatively close to the industrial site.

Kidney cancer is significant because international research has associated exposure to PFOA with the disease. However, the Lancashire health review did not conclude that the factory caused the cancers.

The multi-agency Health Cell, involving public-health authorities and environmental regulators, said the available evidence did not demonstrate a statistically significant kidney-cancer cluster or an environmental association. The report concluded that there was not sufficient evidence at that stage to warrant another cluster investigation.

That conclusion has not ended the debate. Environmental scientists have questioned whether the findings warrant additional investigation, including further testing of residents.

Blood tests add a new dimension

New testing has intensified concerns among people living around Thornton-Cleveleys.

According to testing commissioned as part of investigations into the contamination, blood samples from 49 residents showed elevated levels of PFOA. ITV reported that 69.4% of those tested had levels falling into a category associated with increased risks of health problems, including kidney and testicular cancer.

The results indicate exposure, but they do not by themselves demonstrate that exposure caused cancer in any particular resident. Establishing such a connection would require consideration of factors including the duration and level of exposure, individual medical histories and other potential causes.

For residents, however, the results have added to concerns that contamination from the industrial site may have affected the surrounding community for decades.

Environmental contamination

Investigations into the site have also identified widespread PFOA contamination in soil and locally produced food. Residents within one kilometre of the factory have been advised to avoid eating locally produced eggs, while guidance has also been issued concerning homegrown fruit and vegetables. Two nearby allotment sites have been closed.

The Environment Agency and local authorities have been examining whether historical chemical contamination has affected land around the Hillhouse industrial area. The investigation is being conducted under the UK's contaminated-land regulatory framework.

The issue has therefore moved beyond questions about individual illnesses to wider concerns about long-term environmental exposure.

Company response

AGC Chemicals Europe has said it takes its responsibilities toward employees, the local community and the environment seriously. The company has pointed to the findings of the multi-agency health review, which did not identify evidence of a statistically significant kidney-cancer cluster or an environmental link to the cancer cases.

The company stopped using PFOA at the site in 2012, although it continues to use another PFAS chemical, EEA-NH4, in its manufacturing processes. The Health and Safety Executive is consulting on whether that substance should be classified as a possible carcinogen.

A community still looking for answers

The Thornton-Cleveleys case illustrates the difficulty of establishing links between industrial pollution and individual health outcomes. The presence of a chemical associated with cancer in scientific research, elevated exposure among residents and higher-than-expected cancer rates can raise legitimate public-health concerns without, on their own, proving that a particular factory caused those cancers.

Further environmental monitoring and health research could help clarify the extent of exposure and whether there is a meaningful connection between historical contamination and disease in the surrounding population.

For residents, the central question remains unresolved: whether decades of chemical exposure have contributed to illnesses in the community. Current official evidence has not established that link, while new blood-testing results and continuing environmental investigations have ensured that the issue remains under scrutiny.