Santé Publique France announced on August 31 the launch of a vast investigation into the health and quality of life of the inhabitants of Seine-Maritime affected by the fire at the Lubrizol factory last September.
- On September 26, 2019, the fire at the Lubrizol factory in Rouen released a huge cloud of smoke
- Santé Publique France has just launched a vast epidemiological investigation to assess the health consequences of this fire.
Almost a year after the industrial disaster which darkened the sky of Rouen (Seine-Maritime) and made the surrounding inhabitants cough, Public Health France is launching a vast epidemiological investigation to measure the health and feelings of the inhabitants concerned. According to the public body, this is one of the epidemiological studies of the “Health post fire 76” system to measure the medium and long-term impact of this fire at the Lubrizol factory. At the time, many people complained of headaches.
4,000 adults and 1,200 children selected at random by INSEE, and representative of the population, will be able to respond to this survey called “a study listening to your health”. Their common point will be to live in one of the 122 municipalities of Seine-Maritime impacted by the thick cloud of toxic smoke caused by this fire last September. For the purposes of the study, 1,000 adults and 250 children from Le Havre – not affected by the smoke from the fire – will answer the same questionnaire in order to serve as a “control group”.
Measure the health and perception of the inhabitants
During this questionnaire, the inhabitants will be able to give “their perception of the fire, their exposure to the nuisances and pollution it generated, the symptoms and health problems that may have been experienced during the accident and after, as well as their current state of health“explains Public Health France. “This study is useful because it makes it possible to collect and analyze information on the health events experienced by the inhabitants themselves at the time of the accident and in its aftermath – symptoms, complaints, perceptions – which are not recorded in any other source. available health information“says Dr. Pascal Empereur-Bissonnet, scientific adviser to the Direction of the regions of Public Health France. This study must be carried out by Ipsos from September 1. The inhabitants solicited by mail will be able, if they wish, to answer online or by phone in the respect of anonymity. Public Health France hopes that the first results “will be available” end of 2020-beginning of 2021.
This approach is part of a broader epidemiological surveillance process. Public Health France claims to have already carried out epidemiological surveillance from the first day of the fire and for a month to see the short-term effects. There she explains that three other studies are set up in the department, one of which is to follow the evolution of the frequency of certain cancers and chronic diseases, the outcome of pregnancies or the number and cause of death.
On September 26, nearly 10,000 tonnes of chemical products burned on the simultaneous sites of “Lubrizol” and “Normandie Logistique” in Rouen. A cloud of smoke spread over 22 km in length. No death is to be deplored but the health consequences remain unclear. A judicial inquiry is underway to understand the origin of this fire.
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