In Alessandria all the people subjected to biomonitoring have PFAS in their blood

High levels of PFAS were found in the blood of all 36 citizens of Spinetta Marengo - a municipality in the province of Alessandria where Syensqo (formerly Solvay) is located, which ended up at the center of a trial for an environmental disaster - recently subjected to biomonitoring.In fact, in 100% of cases they are present concentrations greater than 2 nanograms per milliliter, a threshold identified as a reference value by the National Academies of Sciences and by the Piedmont Region protocol, beyond which deleterious effects on human health may occur.The 36 citizens are submitted voluntarily to the test, promoted by the associations Ànemo, Greenpeace Italia and the Stop Solvay Committee, in May.The analyses, paid for by the Alexandrians out of their own pockets, were carried out by a laboratory at the German University of Aachen.An alarming fact, given that PFAS are highly persistent substances that can cause multiple, even very serious, health problems.

The news was communicated last Thursday, on the occasion of a press conference held near the city prefecture by the Greenpeace association, alongside which sat the representatives of the local committees who, for years, have been fighting for PFAS to be banned.Specifically, among the PFAS detected, the compound found to be most present is PFOA – classified in recent months as “certain carcinogens” by scientists from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) -, with concentrations between 0.84 and 22.76 nanograms per milliliter.Followed by PFOS, classified as “possibly” carcinogenic – detected in concentrations between 0.84 and 12.97 nanograms per milliliter.At the same time, high concentrations of PFHxS, PFNA and PFDA have also been certified.«We ask for free access to the analyses, for everyone – said Viola Cereda, of the Stop Solvay Committee, addressing the new regional council – and concrete actions to solve the problem.It's true that it's not just this industry's fault, but it's clear to everyone that it is now obsolete and will continue to pollute.What do the institutions want to do?They never express themselves and this is no longer tolerable."«We understood that that industry cannot produce without releasing toxic substances into the environment – ​​ha declared Giuseppe Ungherese of Greenpeace – The institutions must do something about block harmful production without delaythe.'Spot' interventions are useless."

At the beginning of June, following the checks carried out by Arpa Piemonte, which certified the failure to comply with the limits of PFAS emissions into the environment, the province of Alessandria mandate a double warning to the former Solvay, imposing a halt to production for 30 days.The first refers to the particularly serious releases of foam in the Bormida river in the previous weeks, while the second concerns the high values ​​recorded in the soils inside the chemical hub.The company would not have respected the integrated environmental authorisation, which is based on provisions necessary to avoid irremediably compromising the territory where the community adjacent to the plant resides.Meanwhile, the event officially began at the end of May process before the GUP of the Court of Alessandria which sees Solvay in the dock for negligent environmental disaster.Last May 6, at the preliminary hearing, over 250 civil parties appeared before the judge, including environmental associations and institutions.We talk about a very broad investigation, which specifically affected two former Solvay managers, Stefano Bigini, plant director from 2008 until December 2018, and Andrea Diotto, director of the Fluid Production Unit from 1 January 2013 and plant director from 1 September 2018 .

The Pfas are a group that collects over 10,000 synthetic molecules not present in nature, used in various industrial processes for the manufacture of products such as non-stick pans or some food packaging.Being highly stable molecules, they are not briefly degraded in the environment and have been defined as ""eternal pollutants”.Exposure to PFAS has been associated with thyroid problems, diabetes, liver and immune system damage, kidney and testicular cancer, and negative impacts on fertility.PFAS have already been detected in Veneto - where the issue is so serious that even the UN High Commissioner sent a delegation years ago – and, as recent research has shown, in the waters of almost all Italian regions.

[by Stefano Baudino]