Kidney cancer rates near PFAS factory in Lancashire raise concern

A government-funded health review has found two small areas with higher-than-expected kidney cancer rates near AGC Chemicals Europe’s PFAS plant in Thornton-Cleveleys, north of Blackpool, renewing concern about long-running contamination in Lancashire.

The review examined cancer rates from 2003 to 2022 in small geographic areas within a 5 km radius of the factory. It identified one area south-east of the plant and another north of Blackpool where kidney cancer rates were above expectation.

Officials said the signal did not amount to a statistically significant excess of kidney cancer cases. The multi-agency health cell concluded there was no evidence of a cancer cluster or an environmental association, and said no further investigation was required at this stage.

The work involved Lancashire County Council, the UK Health Security Agency, NHS partners, the National Disease Registration Service, Wyre Council and the Environment Agency.

What the review found

The latest review does not say kidney cancer is spread across the wider area in a way that would support a formal cluster finding. Instead, it flags two limited areas where the observed numbers were higher than expected.

That distinction matters because cluster reviews are looking for more than an isolated signal. They assess whether the pattern is statistically unusual, whether it holds across a wider area, and whether the available evidence points to an environmental cause.

In this case, the health cell said those thresholds were not met. It said there was no evidence of a statistically significant excess and no evidence that the pattern justified further investigation at this stage.

The conclusion is likely to prompt continued scrutiny from residents and campaigners who want to know how the signal was assessed and why the review stopped short of a wider inquiry.

Why the site remains sensitive

The Thornton-Cleveleys plant has been under scrutiny because it emitted PFOA, a PFAS chemical linked in international research to kidney cancer. The Guardian has reported that roughly 49 tonnes were emitted between the 1950s and 2012.

PFAS are persistent industrial chemicals often called forever chemicals because they do not break down easily in the environment. PFOA is one of the better-studied compounds in that group and has been associated with kidney cancer in earlier research.

Residents within 1 km of the factory have already been advised not to eat fruit, vegetables or eggs produced there. An allotment on the factory border was closed after elevated PFOA was found in soil and produce.

Earlier reporting also said residents near the Lancashire site were told to wash and peel homegrown produce while contamination investigations continued.

AGC Chemicals Europe has previously said it phased out PFOA in 2012 and that its chemical processes are rigorously monitored and compliant with current UK and EU environmental laws and regulations.

Reaction and unresolved questions

The latest review will likely intensify pressure for the full report and underlying data to be published so independent experts can examine the findings in detail.

Environmental cancer researchers have already argued that a kidney-cancer signal near a known PFOA source should not be dismissed lightly. The concern is not only the number of cases but also the long time lag between emissions and disease.

A central unanswered question is how much historical exposure residents experienced before the phase-out of PFOA, and whether current monitoring can reconstruct what happened over earlier decades.

Researchers and campaigners are also likely to keep pressing for blood testing for PFOA exposure. Leigh Day is exploring a potential legal claim on behalf of residents and says it plans to offer testing.

What happens next

The case keeps attention on Lancashire County Council, Wyre Council, the Environment Agency and the UK Health Security Agency, all of which have been involved in the response around the site.

Residents affected by earlier gardening and produce restrictions are likely to continue seeking answers about contamination levels, health monitoring and whether the investigation should widen.

For now, the official position is that the kidney-cancer signal is not strong enough to justify a further cluster investigation. But the review has left open broader questions about exposure, accountability and whether additional testing or regulatory action will follow.