The shocking study published by the Forever Pollution Project. A proposal to ban them from 2026 to the European Chemicals Agency. The case of Veneto
There are about 17,000 sites contaminated with levels above 10 nanograms per liter in Europe by Pfas, considered an eternal pollutant. Of these, 2,100 have levels dangerous to health with concentrations of over 100 nanograms per litre, according to the Forever Pollution Project survey carried out by 18 European information bodies. Twenty Pfas-producing factories were also identified (mainly in Germany and France, two in Italy) and 230 user companies.
Pollution in Veneto
The inhabitants of the Veneto region are very familiar with Pfas, chemical compounds produced since the 1960s in the plain between Padua, Verona and Vicenza. They have been poured into the surface waters of the countryside for decades and from there they percolated into the groundwater, contaminating a very large area, considered from the Cnr the greatest water pollution in Europe. Pfas are perfluoroalkyl substances used as water and oil repellents in the furniture and clothing industries, in Teflon to make pots non-stick and in many other sectors, which have serious consequences on health: once they enter the food chain they tend to be absorbed by the blood. Very high levels have been found in the waters of the Po.
The proposals
Last week, the European Chemicals Agency put forward the first proposal to ban Pfas since 2026. The Mario Negri Institute has identified about twenty substances that could be used in industry instead of Pfas.
February 23, 2023 (change February 23, 2023 | 1:57 pm)
© Time.News