Fool’s Game on the Seine
Update July 30, 2024 – 2:30pm. PCBs, lead, PAHs, PFAS, E-coli + storms: Robin des Bois calls for cancellation of triathlon and marathon swimming events in the Seine in Paris. Athletes are not guinea pigs condemned to hard labor.
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The aquatic displays by Ms Oudéa-Castéra, Minister for Sports and the Olympic Games, and Ms Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris, demonstrate the political class’ accommodation with persistent chemical pollution. They are encouraging the general public to do the same, with no regard for health and safety. The statements made by some of the athletes invited to the Seine for the 1.5-km triathlon on 30 and 31 July and 5 August and the 10-km marathon swimming on 8 and 9 August are worrying. They say they are used to diving into dirty water and getting trash mouthfuls when swimming. They are being thrown into the murky waters of the Seine by the sports federations and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games Organising Committee.
Briefing note n°2 on the PFAS Report
The report “Analyse des risques de présence de per- et polyfluoroalkyles (PFAS) dans l’environnement” (“Risk Analysis for the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyles (PFAS) in the environment”) (1) was finally published on April 14, 2023 and said that the subject of potentially concerned pesticides is very poorly documented “which would justify arranging a survey of manufacturers”. Robin des Bois has already noted that the ECHA (European Chemicals Agency) in its document covering the restrictions on the use of PFAS (2) and in particular in its Annex (3) cites in the Biocides and Pesticides categories 49 active substances approved by the European Union and covered by the current definition of PFAS (listed below). For pesticides, the ECHA estimates that 5,479 tonnes of PFAS are used each year in the European Union. The prohibition of PFAS in pesticides would remove 200 products from the market, which is not currently advised by the ECHA.
