A thick layer of foam containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) spilled onto a street in an industrial estate in Waregem, West Flanders, on Thursday.
The substance covered a large part of the street, Textielstraat, which was closed to traffic.
The foam had escaped from the Matco chemical company due to a fault in its sprinkler system. It came from a fire extinguishing system containing PFAS. One employee was taken to hospital with respiratory problems.
The emergency services and a specialist company were called to the scene to clean up the roadway and prevent the toxic substance from seeping into the ground, ditches or sewers. The street has since been cleared.
The Environmental Protection Agency and Aquafin have been informed of the situation and samples have been taken to measure any contamination.
