Russell and Carol - hayle and hearty

Oh well - that's OK... NOT!!!!

The UKHSA said PFAS
biomonitoring was not currently recommended through the NHS or private
blood tests, but it was "developing capabilities" as an agency to
examine human exposure to PFAS by analysing blood and urine samples.

It
said that "most people in the UK are likely to have measurable levels
of PFAS in the blood" as it is "widespread", with exposure coming from
food, drinking water, air and everyday products.

...

Residents previously asked the council to test their blood for the
chemical. But according to the UK Health Security Agency, PFAS
monitoring is not currently recommended because "tests are unlikely to
provide clear information for individuals".

Forever chemicals are a
group of substances, also known as PFAS, that are resistant to water and
oil and are in thousands of everyday products, such as clothing and
cookwear.

But because
they do not break down easily they have raised health concerns. PFOA has
been banned in the UK since 2020 because it was classed by the World
Health Organization (WHO) as a Group 1 carcinogen, which means there is
clear scientific evidence it can increase the risk of cancer.

The
Environment Agency and Wyre Council have been testing the area close to
the AGC Chemicals factory since 2024 to determine if it has been
contaminated.

They found PFOA at elevated levels in the soil, eggs and locally grown vegetables.

...

The UK does not have any recommendations about acceptable PFAS levels in people, although the US and Germany do.

Of
the 49 residents tested, 70% had readings that could leave them at
increased risk of adverse health effects, according to these countries'
guidelines.

Possible
effects include a higher risk of reduced thyroid function, kidney
cancer, testicular cancer, elevated cholesterol, pre-eclampsia and
ulcerative colitis.

Having
elevated forever chemicals in their blood is not a guarantee residents
will develop these conditions, but US and German authorities have
suggested anyone with elevated levels should be offered further health
screening.

...Overseas, one of the biggest legal cases over PFOA contamination was in
West Virginia, in the US, which was depicted in the 2019 film Dark
Waters. In that case, DuPont and Chemours Co settled more than 3,500
PFOA lawsuits for a total of $671m (£526m). Both companies have always
denied any wrongdoing.

...

Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)

The area in Thornton-Cleveleys has been under investigation for years by
the Environment Agency over contamination of soils and locally grown
food from the substance used to manufacture non-stick frying pans until
2012.

...

The factory in
Thornton-Cleveleys first started operating in the 1950s, when ICI
manufactured coating for non-stick frying pans using PFOA. AGC Chemicals
took over the factory in 1999 and continued using PFOA until 2012, when
it switched to a replacement chemical called EEA-NH4, which was also
found in the blood of 10 residents tested.

A
spokesperson for AGC Chemicals said the site manufactured chemicals
long before the company was established. "Since the wider multi-agency
investigation is still ongoing and no formal determination of land
contamination has been made, we cannot speculate on future outcomes or
next steps," they said.

Earlier
this month, AGC Chemicals said the factory would close later this year
after deciding there was no "viable solution to keep the site operating
in the context of a volatile and competitive market".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cmr4v9nr320zo?1=1

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjly4rv0q3l0o