Residents and firefighters caught up in the Grenfell Tower disaster have been struck down by health problems after being exposed to chemicals during the tragedy, MPs have warned.
An emerging “Grenfell cough” has prompted health problems including vomiting, coughing up blood, skin complaints and breathing difficulties, the Commons Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) said.
The cross-party group blasted officials for a slow response to potential biohazards after the blaze in Kensington, west London, which saw 72 people die and dozens more injured in June 2017.
“We are troubled by the lack of urgency in response to the findings of environmental contamination around the Grenfell Tower site,” the MPs said.
Local residents shared fears of health problems soon after the fire.
Vassiliki Stavrou-Loraine told HuffPost UK in August 2017 that the impact of the disaster on people’s health was one a “major concern” for those left behind.
“Almost every resident has been affected in one way or another,” she said. “We are worried about the asbestos particles... and also we hear there are also cyanide particles in the fire.”
And Samia Badani, then chair of a nearby residents association, told HuffPost UK at the same time that people had reported “headaches, coughing, chest problems, feeling dizzy or having stomach cramps”.
Meanwhile, the local MP, Emma Dent Coad, wrote on HuffPost UK in October last year that survivors of the blaze had been treated for cyanide poisoning.
Dent Coad claimed that local officials ignored warnings from a toxicologist over fumes from the fire and that several schools sit within a danger zone.
Labour MP Mary Creagh, who chairs the EAC, said it took “more than a year” for soil testing around the west London tower to take place.
Creagh said: “We need to know the extent of people’s exposure to chemical contamination which is why we are calling for a biomonitoring programme across the UK, with specific monitoring for residents around Grenfell Tower.”
Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said: “It is deeply troubling to know that, after the deaths of 72 innocent people, the toxic contamination of the area surrounding the tower could still be damaging the health of local people.
“The government’s lacklustre response to the Environmental Audit Committee is a reflection of their total failure to learn the lessons from Grenfell and their unwillingness to take meaningful action to deal with its consequences.
“The effect of toxic contaminants on firefighters is not well enough understood, which is why the FBU has commenced research with UCLan to better comprehend the risk.
“One thing is certain - fires are a storm of toxic chemicals which can have serious long-term health impacts. To take so little action on the exposure of the Grenfell community to this risk is shameful.”
The EAC also called for the government to respond to a 2016 review of fire safety regulations before the new prime minister takes office on July 24.
It accused ministers of “sitting on their hands” while “unnecessary and potentially toxic” chemicals continued to enter people’s homes.
MPs raised particular concerns about flame-retardant chemicals used on home furnishings, with UK mothers having some of the world’s highest concentrations of the substances in their breast milk.
Creagh added: “Most people assume that they aren’t at risk from toxic chemicals but the reality is different.
“Mums in the UK have some of the world’s highest concentrations of flame retardants in their breast milk, some of which have now been banned.
“Chemical flame retardants are still being widely used in our furnishings from children’s mattresses to sofas.
“Meanwhile the government is sitting on its hands instead of changing regulations to ensure that the most toxic chemicals are taken out of use.”
A government spokesperson said: “The UK’s furniture safety requirements are the highest in Europe.
“We are committed to improving environmental outcomes and reducing toxicity but need to do so in a clear, well evidenced way which also improves fire safety.
“We are committed to publishing our response to the review of furniture fire safety regulations before recess to ensure the highest levels of safety are both maintained and improved.”