Nearly 600 industrial sites in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes must submit to controls concerning their releases of PFAS into the environment. A first list of 135 establishments has just been published. Unsurprisingly, the Arkéma site at Pierre Bénite stands out from the crowd. Rejections still high despite the efforts of the industrialist.
The regional directorate for the environment, planning and housing (DREAL) has just communicated the first results of analyzes of aqueous PFAS discharges. These data, carried out in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, relate to around 600 manufacturers affected by this monitoring.
This first list of 135 sites, which are the subject of these studies, shows that these so-called eternal pollutants are present in many areas of activity.
The chemical industry is very present. But waste treatment sectors are also emerging. Stationery, dyeing and textiles are also among the emitting sites.
According to DREAL services, these first results “are unsurprising.”
There are PFAS in many areas. We did not detect any significant flow sites. At this point, there are no sites that merit an alert. The results are consistent, but there are concerns about some of them.
PFAS are a family of more than 4,000 chemical compounds
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© France 3 Rhône-Alpes
Still according to DREAL, “the establishment which represents the largest flow is that of Arkéma, in Pierre-Bénite.” The figures would be ten times higher than most of the figures recorded on other sites.
The services emphasize that, despite these high concentration rates, the manufacturer has managed to reduce its discharges by 80% into water thanks to the implementation of an activated carbon treatment system in November 2022.
In the case of Arkéma, the objective set by the State is to stop the use of PFAS by the end of 2024.
This first list will be completed and made public on the DREAL website, “for the sake of transparency”, every month, as results are published. The analyzes began in September 2023 and will continue until the summer of 2024. Manufacturers are required to carry out “three campaigns, over three months”. Unannounced checks can still be carried out by state services.
The subject is sensitive. The presence of PFAS around the Lyon sites led the authorities to take measures in the name of the precautionary principle. Residents of the Pierre-Bénite industrial platform are recommended not to consume vegetables from their gardens or eggs from their chickens.
In allotment and private gardens near industrial platforms, the PFAS levels recorded in vegetables are above European recommendations.
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© France 3 Rhône-Alpes
The analysis campaign covers 20 PFAS, mentioned in the European water directive. There are nearly 10,000 different ones. DREAL also points out that there is no environmental reference value yet. “With the exception of PFOS, no text currently imposes an emission limit in water discharged by industrial establishments.”
Regulations could evolve in light of the results of these analyses. In the meantime, DREAL can take action for sites whose figures are too high. It can ask the industrialist concerned to reduce or even eliminate the use of these pollutants.
The results of these data are transmitted to the ARS. The regional health agency can then carry out research on the drinking water catchment areas in order to check the quality of the drinking water distributed to the population.
