ANSES warns of the presence of solvent, 1,4-dioxane, in groundwater, particularly in Yvelines.
- In 8% of drinking water samples tested by ANSES, 1,4-dioxane was found.
- It is a solvent which is classified as carcinogenic by the IARC (International Agency for Research against Cancer).
- The Yvelines hold the national record for dioxane concentration with 4.8 µg/L.
In Île-de-France, several drinking water reservoirs contain 1,4-dioxane, according to the National Food Safety Agency (ANSES). To achieve this discovery, she carried out a research campaign for two years. She “made it possible to collect more than 136,000 results. The samples of raw and treated water were taken throughout France, including in the overseas territories. The objective was to analyze collection points of ‘water representing approximately 20% of the water distributed’, can we read in the press release of the agency. It focused on three classes of pollutants: pesticides and pesticide metabolites, explosive residues and 1,4-dioxane, a solvent.
Solvent detected in 8% of drinking water samples tested
At the end of this work, several pollutants were detected in numerous groundwater tables in the region. According to the data, 89 pesticides and pesticide metabolites were detected at least once in raw water and 77 times in treated water. Another observation: explosive residues were found in less than 10% of the samples of treated water, mainly from armament sites dating from the First World War or near industrial armament activities. “1,4-dioxane was quantified in 8% of the samples”, reports ANSES in his report. She adds that “This contamination affects resources of surface origin as much as those of underground origin. The results tend to confirm the industrial origin of this compound in the waters with 63% of the positive samples linked to industrial discharges.”
1,4-dioxane, a substance classified as carcinogenic
As a reminder, this solvent, which is “mobile in the environment and not very biodegradable”, is used by paint manufacturers, but also by laboratories and manufacturers of cleaning products. According to INRS, repeated exposure to this solvent may cause skin dryness or cracking. 1,4-dioxane can also cause severe eye irritation and irritate the respiratory tract. “This substance is classified as carcinogenic by the IARC (International Agency for Research against Cancer)”, indicates the National Institute for Research and Security on its website.
Drinking water contaminated by dioxane: a record in Yvelines
The ANSES report specifies that certain regions seem to be spared from 1,4-dioxane contamination, such as the South-East and North-West of France, Corsica and the DROMs. On the other hand, nine regions are affected by the presence of this compound with Ile de France, Centre-Val de Loire and Hauts de France. “It is interesting to note that for the department of Yvelines (78), the additional points are all positive with a maximum concentration of 4.8 µg/L. To understand these concentration levels and their origin, additional investigations will be carried out (…) Two sites are concerned by these investigations. For one of them, we already know that these high levels are linked to pollution with chlorinated solvents in the 1980s. For the second, the origin is not clearly identified”, alert the agency.