On the first day of confinement, Kristell wanted to get some fresh air on her balcony, she was assailed by the scent of burned fuels inherited from the Lubrizol fire. "I experienced it very badly," she says. “Covid plus inhalation of potentially toxic chemicals” constituted a double punishment for this 45-year-old documentalist based in Déville-lès-Rouen (Seine-Maritime) 3 km as the crow flies from this Rouen factory which had caught fire September 26. Almost "eight months later, these lingering smells are terribly anxiety-provoking," points out Kristell, who participated in the health survey conducted by the local association Rouen Respire.
Why did this environmental NGO not want to wait for the official results? "The investigation by Public Health France was not to start until March, we did not want to wait six months for a study on the short-term effects on health ... The coronavirus went through there, the deadlines were further extended, the epidemiological survey will start at the end of August, the results could be published at the beginning of 2021, "explains Nathalie Le Meur, a volunteer at Rouen Respire. This does not prevent the association from participating in the study of administration on the medium and long term effects. Contacted, the national public health agency did not follow up.
215 municipalities studied, not enough?
The health monitoring of the population provided by Public Health France must also focus on the 215 municipalities that found themselves under the impressive plume of smoke. “It's too restrictive, the 8,000 m² roof filled with asbestos, like the 9,000 tonnes of chemicals could, depending on the weather, fall out of this area. Our respondents declare symptoms, whether or not they were in a panache, ”points out Nathalie Le Meur, pharmacist biologist in the civilian sector.
Even if this health professional recognizes that the sample of her survey (565 respondents, half of the association's members) "is not representative", she assures that "the results ask good questions and have the merit of 'to exist ".
"No one has forgotten here"
First lesson of this investigation, this fire which made the atmosphere unbreathable for days caused a lot of anxiety: 81% of the participants said they had felt anguish. It is by far the most cited and most lasting symptom: 20% of people still suffer from it several months after the fire. Regarding physical manifestations, seven out of ten people felt headache and tingling in the tongue or throat. Less commonly reported, discomfort, digestive upset and rashes.
The overwhelming majority (86%) of asthma sufferers and others interviewed with chronic respiratory diseases experienced a worsening of their condition, most often observed by a doctor.
VIDEO. Fire in Rouen: twenty families file a complaint against X
"Despite the global pandemic, even if we feel forgotten, here nobody has forgotten the Lubrizol file", points Kristell. Especially since if the factory specializing in lubricants resumed its activity in December, burning odors continue to be reported by the neighbors and that part of the burnt rubble is still on site. After removing the most dangerous drums and clearing the road, the American company has just deposited an insulating film on the burned area which should be evacuated in June.
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Study carried out by the Rouen Respire association between January 24, 2020 and March 10, with 565 people living or working near the fire, half of whom are members. The questionnaire is posted online on the Wepi site designed to create epidemiology and health surveys.
