Slowly we are waking up to our impact on the world around us: not only are we coming to terms with the immediate effects of pollution on local communities but scientific analyses are uncovering the spread of pollution to areas once considered untainted by toxic human activity.
In Belgium, the insidious presence of harmful substances has again come under public scrutiny after an investigation carried out by national broadcaster RTBF, which last week found that 12,000 residents in Wallonia had been using water that was five times above the EU threshold for "forever chemicals".
Technically called Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances but abbreviated to PFAS, these manmade chemicals are used in a variety of applications (such as non-stick pans or waterproofing). But those resistant qualities become less desirable if they escape into natural environments, especially as we learn more about their harmful – and thought to be carcinogenic – effects.
Though medical experts are still ascertaining the long-term effects of such substances, it is unequivocally bad news. This isn't the first time the alarm has sounded about their concentration in Belgium: already we have been identified as the world's worst offender. A 3M factory in Flanders has been the focus of a legal battle as it emerges that the surrounding area exceeds legal PFAS thresholds many times over. The chemicals have been found in the blood of local residents, food grown in the area, and the water course.
After years of courtroom wrangling, the company is now committed to a €571 million clean-up operation in the area. This even involves removing and replacing topsoil to a depth of at least 70cm within a radius of over 1km of the factory – a colossal task that is quite literally just relocating an existing problem elsewhere.
So the discovery that a community elsewhere in the country also was being exposed to the substances, and possibly with the knowledge of the responsible authorities, has hit an increasingly sensitive nerve. Wallonia's environment minister faces a parliamentary hearing on Tuesday whilst Vivaqua, the public water company for Brussels, has given assurances that in all locations the level of pollutants was well within established limits.
But recent history has shown that when it comes to forever chemicals, the deeper you dig, the worse it gets. Hold my glass.
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1. PFAS water pollution: Brussels Minister called into Parliament to 'not create a panic'
The Brussels Minister for the Environment, Alain Maron (Ecolo), will face a hearing in the Brussels parliamentary environment committee on Wednesday by fellow MPs over growing PFAS pollution concerns, his office has confirmed. Read more.
2. Electricity bills €40 more expensive from 2025 due to higher tariffs
Belgium's high-voltage operator Elia plans to raise its transmission tariffs in order to fund infrastructure improvements to the national electricity grid. From 2025, this will result in slightly higher bills for consumers. Read more.
3. Do you need to register a car with a foreign number plate in Belgium?
In most cases, anyone living in Belgium is prohibited from driving a foreign-registered vehicle, but there are some exceptions. Find out what these are, or how to register a vehicle if this is necessary. Read more.
4. Entire building with illegal Airbnb flats sealed in Brussels city centre
An entire building with illegal tourist accommodation was sealed near the Grand Place in Brussels city centre on Monday. It concerned a professional who rented out four flats on Airbnb, the City of Brussels' Urban Planning Control said. Read more.
5. Code yellow for heavy rain and wind, helpline 1722 activated
The bad weather in Belgium will not be easing any time soon. On Monday, two code yellows were activated due to the expected heavy rainfall and strong wind gusts in the country. Read more.
6. Brussels-Midi station: 18-storey tower for affordable housing on its way
A new project which aims to meet the need for affordable, quality housing in Brussels is about to see the light of day next to the capital's key international railway station. Read more.
7. Halfway there: Brussels retro Cinema Nova collected €400,000 so far
Nearly three weeks after the fundraising campaign to buy Cinema Nova was launched, the retro cinema in the Brussels city centre has already raised €400,000 – half the amount needed to buy the venue. Read more.
