Greenpeace: PFAS and PFOS: what about the toxic soil in Antwerp?

The newspapers in Flanders were full of it in recent weeks: heavily polluted soil and groundwater in and around Zwijndrecht, Antwerp. What is going on, what needs to be done and who is going to pay for it? We list a number of things.

15.06.2021 | Greenpeace Belgium

Update: On Sunday 4 July, Greenpeace will participate in a citizen protest in Antwerp around PFOS: a march for a healthy city and port. Do you want to participate? All information can be found here here.

What exactly is PFAS, or is it PFOS?

PFAS (poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances) is the collective name for a group of heavily polluting and toxic chemical substances that result from fluoridation: processes in which fluoride is added to drinking water or food. PFOS (perfluorooctanesulfonates) is one chemical substance within the PFAS group, which is used to make products such as textiles water and dirt repellent.

PFAS are man-made and do not occur naturally in the environment. They are used for non-stick coatings on certain pans, among other things, because they repel water and grease, but mainly because they are virtually indestructible. They are therefore also called the “forever chemicals” because they do not perish.

Impact on health

When they enter the body of humans or animals, many of these substances remain there for a very long time, with all kinds of negative health effects.

They are linked to hormonal imbalance, increased cholesterol, reduced birth weight, lower chances of becoming pregnant, and influence on growth and behavior of children. The international cancer research institute IARC considers PFOS as 'possibly carcinogenic'. PFOS could also be the weaken immune system.

What's going on in Zwijndrecht?

The American company 3M produced PFOS at its site in Zwijndrecht until the early 2000s. You probably know the company from the Scotch brand of adhesive tape. On and around the company's site, greatly increased concentrations of PFOS have been found in the soil and groundwater, and even in animals. Because the impact of PFOS was severely underestimated for a long time, negligent permits allowed discharges of this chemical into the environment. In 2002, 3M stopped producing PFOS because the substance is 'not or hardly biodegradable'. But by then, irreparable damage had already been done.

Research has once again shown that the measured PFOS values in and around Zwijndrecht are worryingly high. No less than 26 times higher than current standards, and those standards are probably still too lax according to experts. At the moment there is great uncertainty for residents and farmers in the area about how safe it is to eat chicken eggs, for example.

Why is this only coming to light now? 

The production of PFOS by the 3M factory in Zwijndrecht stopped in 2002. However, the true scale of the impact on the environment is only now becoming apparent. How come? 

First and foremost, in recent years we have become more aware of the worrying health impact of PFAS and PFOS in our environment. However, this growing insight was not translated quickly enough by government agencies into sufficiently strict standards on, for example, the management of PFAS-contaminated soil or groundwater.

An important reason for this is not hard to find, and is also a second reason why this scandal is only now coming to light. Literally coming to light, even. Because the large-scale pollution only really came to attention after the preparatory works for Eastern Weel: the major road infrastructure works around Antwerp. It seems that certain standards were not allowed to be too strict, because they could then put the Oosterweel works in a difficult position. Because the gigantic excavation works for the Scheldt tunnel will soon start on the Antwerp Left Bank, a coalition of environmental movements – including Greenpeace – sounded the alarm in April alarm bellWe were alerted by citizen activist Thomas Goorden, who is almost the 'Erin Brockovich' in the whole PFAS scandal. 

And now what? The polluter pays!

Over the past few weeks, many questions have arisen that deserve answers. 

How could this happen? What went wrong in the assessment of this pollution, and in the establishment of standards for the discharge or use of polluted soil or groundwater? A parliamentary inquiry committee will have to turn over every stone, so that this can at least not happen again in the future. The Antwerp public prosecutor's office is also conducting a research.

But just as important: how can it be guaranteed that the polluter (3M) and not the taxpayer will pay for the costs of cleaning up this mess and possibly also compensating affected residents and farmers for damages suffered? In a 'secret' agreement between 3M and construction company Lantis (formerly BAM) that surfaced this week, the polluter remains out of the picture and the government company Lantis is taking on almost all the costs of the clean-up. This is unacceptable! The bad habit of shifting industrial environmental pollution onto society must stop here.

Finally, clarity must be provided quickly about the planned major excavation works for Oosterweel and the Scheldt tunnel. The permit for these excavation works was granted on the basis of health standards that are now clearly outdated. Digging up millions of cubic meters of heavily contaminated soil without a clear answer to the many questions is not an option. We to ask to adjust the conditions of the environmental permit based on the new health standards. Strict conditions are also required for the contractor and the building owner before these excavation works can start.

A few weeks ago a first protest action of residents. We were there to support the residents, and with a clear message for our Flemish government: “The polluter pays!”. On Sunday 4 July a new protest will take place in Antwerp, where we will also be present. Do you want to come too? All information can be found here here.