PFAS: Concentrations Monitored Around the Airport
A study conducted with over 1,600 participants and based on blood analyses combined with detailed lifestyle questionnaires identifies several key factors. Age and gender play a role – men and older individuals generally have higher concentrations. Duration of residence in the area also matters: living on site for more than ten years is associated with higher levels of contamination.
Significantly high PFAS concentrations in the Meuse and Ardennes at the Belgian border: “This is just the tip of the iceberg.”
However, two factors stand out. Drinking tap water during the contamination period is a major determinant. Those who regularly consumed it show significantly higher levels of Pfas. Another key factor is the consumption of eggs from domestic farming. Family gardens and chicken coops, fed by contaminated soils or waters, pose a significant exposure risk. Seafood also contributes, to a lesser extent, as well as certain textiles, cosmetics, and hygiene products – although their impact seems limited compared to the results.
Concrete Recommendations
Based on these findings, ISSeP formulates several recommendations. Strict monitoring of drinking water quality must be maintained, a system already in place in Wallonia. As a precautionary measure, residents in affected areas are advised to avoid consuming eggs from their own production, pending further analysis. A specific study on self-produced eggs, at the scale of these areas as well as the entire Wallonia, is also deemed relevant. On a broader level, Wallonia aims to refine the mapping of Pfas in soils, reduce industrial discharges, and support European initiatives to ban these substances at the source.
A Belgian company still discharged wastewater containing PFAS in 2025.
Wallonian Minister of Health and Environment, Yves Coppieters, applauds the progress represented by this publication. “Today, we are closing an important chapter for citizens: the one that allowed us to measure, understand, and explain the different exposures to PFAS.” He also highlights the responsiveness of water distributors, “now proactive in anticipating European standards,” while emphasizing the need to continue investigations and improve the regulatory framework.
