“Notre-Dame de Paris Reconstruction Site Under Close Surveillance for Lead Poisoning”

Four years after being extinguished, the fire that ravaged Notre-Dame de Paris continues to do damage, invisible this time. A judicial inquiry has been opened into possible lead poisoning in the area around the cathedral after the fire.

According The Parisianthe archaeological crypt located under the monument had to close its doors between October and December 2022, then between January and February 2023. Abnormally high levels of lead had been detected on the forecourt of the cathedral and near the entrance to relief from the crypt.

The Notre-Dame district “under close surveillance”

The Occupational Risk Prevention Office (BPRP) requested analyzes, which “ showed insignificant levels, with the exception of the emergency exit airlock, with a lead concentration on the floor slightly above the limit value “, according to the manager of the site, Paris Musées. The crypt was cleaned by a specialized company.

The forecourt, the crypt emergency exit and the surroundings of Notre-Dame are currently “ under close supervision until the end of the cathedral building site », according to the Regional Health Agency (ARS), which carries out on-site forty to fifty analyzes every fortnight. The Agency assures that it will be « immediately alerted by the EPRND [Établissement public chargé de la reconstruction de Notre-Dame] if an abnormal situation on these analyzes is observed ». The results can be viewed on its website.

The ARS also monitors the Maurice-Carême promenade, located on the banks of the Seine on the edge of the cathedral, after having noted on January 6 lead levels ” much higher than previous campaigns “. The promenade had been closed between January and February, then reopened to the public after “ thorough cleanings ».