Published on 05/01/2025 21:07
Reading time: 1min – video: 6min
Pollution: visit to the poisonous hills of Orbiel in Aude
Living near a huge open-air heavy metal dump, for residents of the Orbiel valley in Aude, is the consequence of the presence of an old gold mine. Twenty years after its closure, pollution still shows alarming levels.
(France 2)
Living near a huge open-air heavy metal dump, for residents of the Orbiel valley in Aude, is the consequence of the presence of an old gold mine. Twenty years after its closure, pollution still shows alarming levels.
It is a postcard setting with wooded hills and green valleys where a peaceful stream flows. But in reality, the area is polluted by a former gold and arsenic mine. Arsenic has even been found in the urine of some children. Pollution has been contaminating an entire territory for decades.
During a university outing, students come to discover a unique site in France. Philippe Behra, professor of chemistry, deciphers the landscape: the Artus or the Combe du Saut are hills which are vegetated today. However, they contain all kinds of more or less toxic elements. “It’s a huge dump. What's surprising when we come for the first time is that we feel like it's completely natural. However, nothing is natural in this area”explains the professor.
Watch the full report in the video above.
