Alarming levels of toxic PFAS chemicals have been found in the blood of residents and former workers in Bentham, North Yorkshire, the site of the UK's highest recorded PFAS contamination. Blood tests conducted for an upcoming ITV documentary, in collaboration with Ends Report, revealed that one in four of the 39 people tested had levels in the highest risk category according to US guidelines.
The highest PFAS level recorded was 405 ng/ml in a former Angus Fire employee, more than 200 times the US risk threshold of 2 ng/ml. Stephen Illston, a 34-year-old resident, had a level of 55 ng/ml and has experienced infertility, which he now believes may be linked to the chemicals. PFAS are associated with reproductive health issues, including lower sperm count.
Dr David Megson, a PFAS expert at Manchester Metropolitan University, described the results as 'absolutely shocking', noting that nearly all tested were above the US population average, with two-thirds in the top 5%. Dr Shubhi Sharma from Chem Trust called the levels 'alarming', given links to cancers and other health problems.
Angus Fire, the factory responsible for the contamination, argued that there is no accepted way to interpret PFAS blood tests internationally and that the sample size was too small to draw conclusions. However, Dr Tony Fletcher, an epidemiologist, highlighted that many non-workers also had high levels, indicating widespread environmental exposure.
