Residents living near former chemical dumping sites in Wales are pushing for voluntary blood testing to determine whether they have been exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a group of toxic substances linked to serious health conditions. The campaign has gained momentum following a documentary investigation that revealed decades of contamination at multiple locations, yet public health authorities have resisted the calls, arguing that testing would not provide reliable answers and could cause unnecessary alarm.
Natalie Dugdale relocated to the countryside near Wrexham two years ago, hoping to provide her young children with a safe rural upbringing. She planned to use public footpaths around a lagoon in north Wales for walks with her baby, toddler and dogs. That changed when she learned about the site's history through a television investigation into the lagoon's use as a dumping ground for PCBs—chemicals known to cause cancer.
The documentary, which aired from 17 August 2026, examined historical dumping by Monsanto, the US chemical manufacturer that operated factories in Wrexham and Newport. Investigators tested 14 sites across Wales and north west England and found elevated levels at all but one location, with one sample described as so toxic that touching it would be dangerous, according to reporting from 10 September 2026.
Natalie, 33, expressed her distress at discovering the contamination:
I was really upset because having young children, what are they being exposed to?She now advocates for blood testing to be introduced across Wales, joining a newly formed campaign group comprising hundreds of residents from the villages of Cefn Mawr, Acrefair and Trevor in north-east Wales.
What are PCBs and why are they dangerous?
PCBs were once widely manufactured and valued for their non-flammability and resistance to breakdown, making them useful in industrial applications. Today, they are recognised as the first "forever chemicals"—substances that accumulate in the environment and resist natural degradation, posing ongoing threats to wildlife and human health. The chemicals were eventually banned due to their toxicity.
Michael Phillips, 63, played at Llwyneinion lagoon as a child and later developed a rare cancer in his shoulder. He believes his condition and those of his childhood friends may be linked to exposure at the site.
I would say every person that played in the pool that was close to me, apart from one friend who had an operation to get rid of it, is dead, he said. Private testing commissioned for the documentary found that Phillips had "very high" levels of PCBs in his blood.
Why are campaigners calling for blood testing?
Members of the campaign group argue that blood testing would provide residents with clarity about their exposure levels and offer "peace of mind". Community councillor Katie Witherden stated:
It would give people answers about what they have or haven't been exposed to - and I think all of us deserve the right to have the choice to know that.
Nel Byers, 33, from Trevor, emphasised that testing was needed "for people's own peace of mind" as well as to demonstrate "on a national scale" whether these communities had elevated results compared to the general population.
If they get the blood testing done they might actually start doing something about [the dumpsites], she added.
The campaign has attracted political support. Steve Witherden, Katie's husband and Labour MP for Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr, described Public Health Wales's refusal to recommend testing as
chilling, and expressed hope that the health authority would reconsider its position.
There's a real strength of feeling from people who've lived near to these sites or worked in them, a real clamouring, he said.
What is Public Health Wales's position?
Public Health Wales (PHW) has stated that a blood testing programme is "not recommended" as a public health action. The authority argues that testing would not reliably assess individual exposure or potential health impacts. According to a statement published on 21 September 2026, PCBs in blood do not show how or where exposure occurred, and the health authority does not yet understand how different PCBs interact in the body.
Prof Sarah Jones, consultant in environmental public health at PHW, explained the reasoning:
We appreciate that the communities are worried and that is understandable, but the testing isn't necessarily going to give any good answers. She noted that there is no treatment available for elevated PCB levels, meaning testing could only provide a number that cannot be reliably interpreted or acted upon.
Jones further argued:
There is nothing that blood testing can do that would magically take those worries away - it would only potentially magnify them. She contended that the real focus should be on making suspected dumpsites as safe as possible rather than testing individuals. When asked whether cost was a factor in the decision, she stated:
No... this is not about money.
PHW also noted that PCB sources exist throughout the wider environment, including food and materials in homes and buildings, making it difficult to pinpoint exposure routes through blood testing alone.
What does the scientific evidence show?
Blood tests on a handful of local people included two individuals with higher PCB levels than the average recorded in a US study, according to reporting from 10 September 2026. Dr Dave Megson of Manchester Metropolitan University, who was involved in the documentary investigation, argued that the US and other European countries are well ahead of the UK in advancing the use of blood testing for alleged chemical contamination.
Megson contended that while blood testing could not definitively prove that cancers and other health impacts were caused by PCBs,
There's so much information that we can pull out if you use those non-standard tests and do some advanced science.He suggested that advanced testing methods could provide valuable insights beyond standard approaches.
The documentary investigation revealed that the Llwyneinion acid tar lagoon was known to be contaminated as early as 1979, with records showing 18 investigations, two remediation proposals and five treatment trials conducted over 27 years, according to reporting from 25 August 2026. A contamination pathway assessment identified 105 possible routes by which contamination could affect people, wildlife, property or water supplies.
What is the current legal status of the site?
Natural Resources Wales tested Llwyneinion acid tar lagoon, and Wrexham council determined that it did not meet the legal definition of contaminated land, meaning there was no statutory requirement for remediation, according to reporting from 10 August 2026. This determination has frustrated campaigners who believe the site poses a genuine health risk.
What support is available to affected communities?
Dr Will Mackintosh from the Royal College of GPs Cymru acknowledged that general practice may need to provide "additional support" in communities where contamination concerns have been raised.
It's clearly something which obviously large numbers of people are concerned about, and general practice has a role in responding to that as the best as we can, he said.
The Welsh government has stated that "addressing the issue of contaminated land is a key priority for this government". A government spokesperson said:
We will develop a Wales-wide strategy to progressively restore post-industrial land so that communities are no longer exposed to potential risks. This will include strengthening the 'polluter pays principle' while we continue to press for environmental justice by raising the importance of seeking UK Government funding direct with the UK Treasury. This should be used to continue our joint efforts to address the legacy of Wales' industrial past through restoring coal tips and remediation of contaminated land.
What happens next?
Public Health Wales's position on PCB testing, as stated on 21 September 2026, remains that blood testing is not recommended as a public health action. No blood-testing programme has been announced, and no scheduled review date has been set. Campaigners continue to press for a change in policy, with calls for both a national soil testing programme and voluntary blood testing led by public health authorities.
Natalie expressed her frustration with the official response:
I think a lot of people are already frightened and it's more frightening not knowing.Katie Witherden agreed, noting that
people are already worriedand emphasising that the group's request for testing was not motivated by hopes of treatment, since none exists for elevated PCB levels.
The debate reflects broader tensions between public health authorities' caution about testing without clear treatment options and residents' desire for information about their potential exposure to toxic substances. Monsanto no longer exists as a company, and Eastman Chemical Company, which is responsible for the firm's legacy production in the UK, has not responded to requests for comment.
Key Facts
- Investigators found elevated PCB levels at 13 of 14 sites tested across Wales and north west England, with one sample so toxic that contact would be dangerous
- Public Health Wales maintains that blood testing is not recommended because it cannot reliably show exposure routes or health impacts, and no treatment exists for elevated levels
- The Llwyneinion lagoon was documented as contaminated since 1979, with over 27 years of investigations and remediation attempts recorded
- Campaigners argue that residents deserve the choice to know their exposure levels, while health authorities warn that testing could magnify worry without providing actionable answers
- The Welsh government has committed to developing a Wales-wide strategy for restoring contaminated post-industrial land, though no specific timeline or funding has been announced
