PFCs, or perfluorinated compounds, are also known as ‘eternal pollutants’, because they never biodegrade. They tick nearly all the boxes for hazardousness: they have a harmful effect on reproductive, cognitive and immune systems, and on thyroid hormones. However, manufacturers continue to use them because of their anti-adhesive and anti-staining properties. You can find them in most products that you use in day-to-day life: raincoats, sports shoes, make up…
While in Europe scandals of PFCs abound, in France, officially, nothing to see. Up until the ‘Green Warriors’ investigation, that is.
The team has uncovered a huge area in the surroundings of Lyon which has been affected by these ‘eternal pollutants’. Martin Boudot and a team of independent researchers have undertaken a unique scientific study: they have measured the levels of PFCs in the air, in the soil, in the water of the Rhône, in the drinking water of the region, and in the milk of the young mothers who have been exposed to the pollutants.
The results obtained have shocked public opinion and caused the regulation around PFCs in France to change. Since the ‘Green Warriors’ revelations, the people of the affected area have appealed to the State, which has since started a vast inquest on the area. All over France, people have also started to analyse their drinking water in order to measure the levels of PFCs.
The next step is to inspire French citizens to do what has been going on in the Netherlands for many years: in the city of Dordrecht, every Saturday, a big collective of locals protest in front of the factory which pollutes the environment with PFCs. Small towns in the region are attacking the guilty multinational and the Dutch government is fighting for a European ban on perfluorinated chemicals. The results of the ‘Green Warriors’ investigation may well help them achieve this.
This edition of ‘Green Warriors’ is a deepdive into the world of eternal pollutants, a sanitisation and environmental scandal brought to light by Martin Boudot and his team.
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