The presence of polluting PFAS in Wallonia remains limited. This is according to a study ordered by the Walloon government.
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The fuss that has arisen in Flanders about the PFOS pollution on and around the 3M site in Zwijndrecht has also caused concern in Wallonia. The Walloon government asked its own services for a study into possible contamination of PFAS – the collective name for thousands of difficult-degrading synthetic substances that also include PFOS – on Walloon territory.
It now appears that the pollution has not spread to Wallonia, Walloon Minister for the Environment Céline Tellier (Ecolo) said in a press release. No PFAS concentrations that were too high were found in the soil or in the watercourses, it said.
Chemical giant 3M produced PFOS in Zwijndrecht until the early 2000s, but the water, grease and dirt-repellent substance was never produced in Wallonia. PFOS is present, but that presence is much more widespread and more linked to the use of certain products containing PFOS or to certain industrial activities.
Overview | PFOS pollution Zwijndrecht
- PFOS is a non-degradable chemical used in products to make them water and dirt repellent.
- PFOS builds up in the body and is linked to a hormone imbalance, an increased risk of cancer and a weakened immune system
- The American company 3M produced PFOS at its location in Zwijndrecht. Large amounts of PFOS ended up in the soil and groundwater.
- 3M stopped producing PFOS in 2002, officially because it is not or hardly biodegradable.
- Zwijndrecht has been known to scientists as a PFOS hotspot for more than ten years.
- The 3M site is adjacent to the Oosterweel Connection wharf, where the excavation works will soon begin. Environmental associations have complained that it will surface tons of contaminated soil.
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