Kidney cancer rates near PFAS factory in Lancashire a ‘major source of concern’

By Pippa Neill | The Guardian | June 19, 2026

Read the full article by Pippa Neill (The Guardian)

"Questions have been raised about the conclusions drawn by a government-funded study into kidney cancer rates near a factory linked to forever chemicals near Blackpool.

Pfoa, a known carcinogenic forever chemical that was banned globally in 2020, was emitted from the AGC Chemicals Europe plant in Thornton-Cleveleys, near Blackpool, between the 1950s and 2012. An estimated 49 tonnes of Pfoa were emitted during that period. The factory, which AGC Chemicals Europe bought in 1999, stopped using Pfoa in 2012.

Pfas, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are commonly known as forever chemicals because they do not break down in the environment. Pfoa was used by AGC Chemicals Europe to make PTFE, another type of forever chemical used to make the non-stick coatings."