Following a new advice from the Flemish Agency for Care and Health, the city of Mechelen is taking extra precautions within a radius of one hundred meters around the site of the old fire station. On the site itself, children are not allowed to play on the unpaved terrain. Within the demarcated zone of 100 meters, the most vulnerable population is advised not to consume vegetables from their own cultivation.
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Just like around the 3M site in Zwijndrecht, the measures are aimed at limiting the exposure of wounded people to PFAS, the group to which PFOS pollution belongs. Earlier this week, residents of the old barracks in the Dageraadstraat had already been asked as a precaution not to use groundwater anymore. The site is contaminated with PFOS due to the use of extinguishing foam.
High readings
‘The possible health effects of PFAS exposure are not acute, but in view of the high measured values found on the site of the fire station and the proximity of homes, pure precautionary measures are indicated,’ says Joris Moonens, spokesperson for the Flemish Agency for Care and Health. . ‘We still know too little about the distribution of these substances, how people are exposed to them and what the impact is on the health of long-term exposure,’ he explains.
PFAS are chemicals that do not or hardly break down. ‘We do not get rid of the substances from the body and therefore accumulate. That is why it is recommended to avoid exposure,’ says Moonens. The agency advises not to let children play on the unpaved terrain of the old barracks. The paved area should be wet-cleaned weekly.
Children and pregnant women
Within a radius of 100 meters from the old barracks, the most vulnerable population is advised not to eat home-grown vegetables: children under the age of twelve, immunocompromised people, pregnant women, nursing mothers or women who wish to become pregnant. In general, the population is advised, among other things, to consume vegetables from their own cultivation in moderation, not to consume small livestock or eggs they have grown themselves, and not to use compost composed of materials from their own garden.
In the meantime, the Flemish waste company has asked Ovam to map out the situation in the area by carrying out additional measurements. ‘After the advice of Care and Health on Friday, we will have nadar fences placed around the former practice field today. We have also decided to immediately distribute a new letter with information to the local residents involved’, says Marina De BIe (Vld-Groen-m+), alderman for the Environment.
The demarcation of the site within a radius of one hundred meters around the barracks is currently sufficient, in the opinion of the agency. It is currently assumed that the pollution caused by the extinguishing foam is not spread far into the environment. ‘The groundwater remains extremely vulnerable to pollution.’
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.
- Extensive overview of PFOS in Zwijndrecht
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