Biomonitoring results that showed high levels of chemicals in the blood of Walloon residents in PFAS hotspots have prompted renewed calls for better regulation of the "forever chemicals".
A long-awaited report published on Tuesday revealed that 28.8% of residents in Chièvres (a Walloon town at the epicentre of the PFAS scandal that has gone on for months) tested positive for high PFAS in their bloodstream. PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl substances) – so-called "forever chemicals" – are man-made compounds that do not break down in the environment.
The affected individuals were advised to seek medical advice to determine the necessary next steps to take. However the health recommendations that have been given have been criticised for being "too vague" and overly complicated. People had to calculate their results based on a complex matching system.
Immediately after the new Walloon Parliament was sworn in on Tuesday, an Environment Committee was set up and has agreed to meet next Monday at 13:00 to discuss the test results. Outgoing Environment Minister Céline Tellier (Ecolo) will present the report to the committee. Opponents – namely Les Engagés, Mouvement Réformateur (MR) and the Belgian Worker's Party (PTB) – say it is essential to explain the "alarming" results.
Ecolo in trouble
The PFAS scandal – most severe in Wallonia but evident in Flanders and Brussels too – has been a reputational fiasco for the Francophone green party Ecolo. Tellier is seen as responsible for the failure to take swifter action to mitigate health risks posed to citizens. Officials reportedly knew about high levels of PFAS well before the public was informed and the Minister has come under fire for a lack of transparency and poor communication.
The party performed dismally in the regional and federal ballots on 9 June, partly due to this perceived mismanagement. Now, the party has doubled down on its stance that PFAS regulation is sorely lacking.
"PFAS must be banned. [This is] the only way to prevent contamination," Green MEP Saskia Bricmont posted on X (formerly Twitter) in the wake of the test results.
In Belgium, a Royal Decree introduced in March limits PFAS presence to 13 micrograms per litre following a transition period. For Ecolo, these measures are insufficient.
