Blood tests told 49 volunteers in Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire that they had unusually high levels of the forever chemical PFOA, which investigators believe likely came from the nearby AGC Chemicals factory that used the substance to make cookware coatings until 2012. Manchester Metropolitan University carried out the tests, which were paid for by journalists; residents were notified of their results on Wednesday. Environment Agency and Wyre Council sampling since 2024 found elevated PFOA in local soil, eggs and garden vegetables, and two allotment sites have been closed and are due to be formally classified as contaminated land. The UK Health Security Agency has not recommended routine PFAS blood monitoring for individuals, so some residents plan to take their results to GPs to put findings on medical records; one resident, Andrew Molloy, was told he is in the highest risk category. PFOA is classed by the World Health Organization as a Group 1 carcinogen and has been banned in the UK since 2020. Officials have advised people living within 1 kilometre of the factory to peel homegrown fruit and vegetables while investigations continue.
