This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Cancer-causing chemicals and other potentially harmful toxins have been found close to Grenfell Tower in fire debris and soil samples that could pose serious health risks to the surrounding community and survivors of the blaze, a study warns.

The research has uncovered “significant environmental contamination” from a range of toxins, including in oily deposits collected 17 months after the tragedy from a flat 160 metres from the site.

Prof Anna Stec, who led the independent study, said there was now an urgent need for further analysis of the surrounding area to “quantify any risk to residents” over the long term for conditions such as cancer, asthma and other respiratory problems.

The disturbing findings will heap pressure on ministers, Public Health England (PHE), the Environment Agency and the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea to explain why they did not immediately commission their own analysis of potential contamination in the aftermath of the tragedy in which 72 people died.

From benzene to BaP: the toxins strewn across Grenfell Read more

The government only acted after preliminary findings from this study were published by the Guardian last October – 16 months after the fire.

Natasha Elcock, chair of Grenfell United, the survivors and bereaved families group, said the full report was “alarming and hugely upsetting to read”.

She said: “Allowing exposure to the level of pollutants in this report would be criminally negligent even without the horror of what happened that night.”

The potential risk of contamination has been one of the principal concerns for residents and survivors since the fire on 14 June 2017.

They have repeatedly asked questions about the potential effects from particles in the plume of smoke and residues generated by the ferociously burning tower.

This prompted Stec, who is now an expert witness to the Grenfell Tower fire inquiry, to launch her own study, along with a team from the University of Central Lancashire, where she is a professor in fire chemistry and toxicology.

This work began within a month of the fire and the team continued to take samples until November last year from six locations up to 1.2km away.

According to the findings, which will be published on Thursday in the journal Chemosphere, the team identified potentially harmful chemicals in debris found close to and around the tower. The study describes:

Char samples from balconies 50 to 100 metres from the tower contaminated with cancer-causing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Researchers concluded the levels posed an increased risk of conditions from asthma to cancer.

Soil samples taken within 140 metres of the tower containing six PAHs at levels up to 160 times greater than those found in soil taken from other urban areas.

Soil and fallen debris taken within 50 metres of the tower containing phosphorous flame retardants – of the kind used in insulation foams and furniture. They are potentially toxic to the nervous system. Fibres matching those used in the refurbishment of the tower were also found in the samples.

Concentrations of benzene, another carcinogen, found 140 metres from the tower in quantities up to 40 times higher than typically found in urban soil.

Dust and an oily deposit found on a window blind inside a flat 160 metres from the tower in November last year. This sample contained isocyanates which can lead to asthma in a single exposure.

Stec said the research highlighted the need for a more detailed investigation: “There is undoubtedly evidence of contamination in the area surrounding the tower, which highlights the need for further in-depth, independent analysis to quantify any risks to residents.”

The study notes that although many of the chemicals found in the soil are stable while undisturbed, problems can arise when they come into contact with the skin through activities such as gardening or playing on the ground.

Inhalation of chemicals found in the indoor samples could also be damaging to health, the research says.

The study did consider the possibility that soil might have been contaminated prior to the fire. However, researchers believe the level of contamination could not have occurred naturally and was inconsistent with other urban areas close by.

PHE has been monitoring air quality around the tower since the fire. In a report published last week, it said “the risk to public health from air pollution remains low”.

It has also consistently played down the likelihood the fire could have caused serious contamination because of the trajectory of the plume of smoke. Many chemicals and toxins are naturally occurring, PHE said.

However, the agency and RBKC came under pressure to explain this position after the Guardian revealed Stec’s preliminary findings last year.

Stec was so worried about her initial results, she sent a briefing note to senior staff within RBKC and other agencies on 8 February last year, urging immediate action to analyse soil and dust within and around the tower and other evacuated buildings.

Grenfell United demanded to know why no one who knew about the early results of the research had warned residents of the potential contamination problem. The pressure eventually led ministers to announce a comprehensive analysis of the soil around Grenfell Tower in November – but work on the ground has yet to begin.

Elcock accused the government of dragging its heels. “Twenty-one months after the fire, the government has yet to carry out a single soil test or offer a proper health screening programme to the community,” she said.

A government spokesperson said: “We take Professor Stec’s findings extremely seriously, and fully appreciate the ongoing health concerns.

“We have established a comprehensive programme of environmental checks to fully assess the risks and take appropriate action. Professor Stec is part of an independent group of scientists overseeing this work and her findings will inform the checks we are conducting.”

Dr Andrew Steeden, a local GP and chair of West London Clinical Commissioning Group, the body responsible for the community around Grenfell Tower, said he recognised that “local people may be worried about their health”.

He said: “The NHS shares their concerns and we would really encourage local residents to speak to their GP to get an enhanced health check.”

More information about NHS support services are available at http://www.grenfell.nhs.uk​