The study concludes that toxic soil in Lausanne did not worsen health August 23, 2024

By AFP - Agence France Presse

The study concludes that toxic soil in Lausanne did not worsen health

Soil pollution caused by a former incinerator in the Swiss city of Lausanne has not resulted in increased health risks for the local population, a study concluded on Wednesday.

A waste incineration plant in Switzerland's fourth largest city - closed in 2005 - was blamed for traces of dioxin discovered in 2021.

Dioxins, which belong to the so-called “dirty dozen” of chemicals known as persistent organic pollutants, have the potential to be highly toxic to various organs and systems.

However, one study found that the people who were exposed had dioxin levels in their blood similar to those of the rest of the population or other European countries.

“Analysis of the data revealed no significant difference between the exposed group, i.e. those who consumed food from contaminated soil, and the control group,” the Vaud regional authority said in a statement.

The Vallon plant was inaugurated in 1958 and was initially welcomed as a way of dealing with the town's waste.

Dioxin pollution dates back to before 1982 when the filters were upgraded.

After the problem was discovered, the Vaud cantonal authorities issued recommendations to restrict the consumption of eggs, vegetables, and fruit from the affected areas.

Concentric rings of pollution

The problem was discovered purely by chance in 2021, causing shock in affluent Switzerland, which prides itself on its pristine mountains, lakes, and pastures.

For years, pollution monitoring had focused on air and water; dioxins had never been found before because no one was looking for them.

Soil tests throughout the city showed that the affected zone stretched 5.25 kilometers (3.2 miles) inland and measured about 3.6 kilometers wide.

The concentric circles of growing pollution led to just one source.

Following the health study, the medical authorities in the canton of Vaud said that the public health recommendations in place were sufficient and did not need to be strengthened.

 rjm/gv