Potential olfactory pollution has been intriguing (and worrying) in Nice (Alpes-Maritimes) for around ten days.
While reports of smells of rotten eggs, sulfur, gas or hydrocarbons, occurring in the morning, multiply in several neighborhoods, the authorities have launched major maneuvers to try to understand what is going on. pass.
Quickly suspected by residents, the Arianeo energy recovery plant, with its large chimney located to the east of the town, would be out of the question according to the metropolis which appealed to the prefect after receiving 500 reports.
State services carried out an inspection on the Seca site (Eiffage-Colas subsidiary) but no causal link has been established at this stage, the Alpes-Maritimes prefecture indicated on Tuesday evening.
Headaches, difficulty breathing...
Faced with this mystery, measuring devices are deployed in four sectors of Nice, by AtmoSud, the air quality observatory in the South Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region.
“This resembles the consequences of an industrial process and the human nose will undoubtedly be more effective than sensors provided it can be on site at the right time,” confides a member of this organization which has counted 144 reports in recent days including “ 50% associated with symptoms such as headache, difficulty breathing, nose and eye irritation.”
“No influx into emergency health services has been observed,” nevertheless reassures the prefecture.
This Wednesday morning, February 14, AtmoSud noted, from “Today in France” - “Le Parisien”, that it had not received any testimony from local residents, compared to two on Tuesday and… 77 on Monday.
Are things getting back to normal or have those possibly responsible for this nuisance become afraid?
No one can say that yet.
The origin of the phenomenon remains, at this time, completely unknown even if its location, in the north-east of the city, a place where there are many businesses, seems privileged.
Investigations continue.