Angus Fire: Alarming PFAS Levels Found in Bentham Blood Tests
Residents and former workers in Bentham have been found to carry alarmingly high levels of PFAS in their blood linked to operations on land belonging to angus fire. Blood testing shown in a new documentary reveals one in four of those tested fall into the greatest risk category, with the highest recorded level at 405 ng/ml. The town’s groundwater was recorded in May 2024 as the UK’s most contaminated for PFAS, raising urgent public-health questions.
Key findings from the blood tests
Thirty-nine people in Bentham underwent blood testing; 23% of them had PFAS concentrations that place them in the highest risk category. The largest individual result was 405 ng/ml in the blood of a former factory worker who has chosen to remain anonymous. By contrast, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (Nasem) has identified a sum of seven PFAS chemicals above 2 ng/ml in blood as a level that creates potential for adverse health effects, and marks 20 ng/ml as a threshold where clinicians should consider more frequent, targeted health screenings.
Scientists who analysed the results described the cluster as far above normal background levels. Dr David Megson, forensic environmental scientist and PFAS expert at Manchester Metropolitan University, said he was “absolutely shocked” by the Bentham data and called the results “exceptionally high compared to a general background population. ” He added that nearly everyone tested was above average for a reference population and many were in the extreme upper tail of expected values.
Angus Fire connection and contamination history
Testing and investigation have focused on land belonging to Angus Fire where firefighting foam containing PFAS was legally produced between 1976 and 2024. PFAS, known as “forever chemicals” because of their persistence, are used widely in consumer products and have been heavily used in firefighting foams. Groundwater on the site and in the surrounding area was recorded in May 2024 as having the highest PFAS concentrations known in the country, prompting concern about environmental and human exposure pathways.
Among those tested was 34-year-old resident Stephen Illston, who recorded a PFAS level of 55 ng/ml and has been facing fertility problems. Illston said that learning about elevated PFAS in his blood gave him an explanation for years of reproductive health struggle and poor mental health. He said, “It’s good to hear it’s not me, maybe it’s the Pfas that’s caused it. ” The testing captured both residents and former workers, showing a pattern of exposure consistent with local contamination.
What happens next
A documentary presenting these blood-test results is scheduled for broadcast on Sunday night (ET) and will bring the data and personal stories to a wider audience. For individuals with elevated levels above 20 ng/ml, Nasem guidance indicates an increased risk of adverse effects and advises clinicians to consider more frequent, targeted health screening. Scientists and affected residents are calling for medical follow-up for those most exposed and for continued monitoring of both people and the environment.
The community and health professionals will now be watching for follow-up testing, medical advice and any official health action triggered by these findings tied to angus fire operations as investigators and clinicians assess longer-term consequences.
