On September 26, 2019, the chemical plant of the Lubrizol company located in Rouen caught fire. Luckily, the fire caused no immediate casualties and no one died. However, the inhabitants do not come out unscathed, because their health and in particular their mental state, is impacted, according to a recent survey by Public Health France.
A health problem found in 66% of residents
During the industrial fire, 10,000 tons of chemicals burned, causing a thick cloud of black smoke that stretched 22 kilometers in length. It therefore became important to analyze the impact of this incident on the health of the people concerned. This is why Santé Publique France launched a post-Fire 76 survey of the population affected by the fire at the Lubrizol plant, the first results of which were published in a press release. The objective is to analyze the health effects of the accident, in the short and medium term. In fact, the data collected concerns more than 4,700 adults and more than 1,200 children, which is a representative sample of the population of more than 340,000 inhabitants. According to the authors of the study, more than 90% of the population of the exposed area “perceived at least one of the accidental pollution”, such as flames, explosion, noise or odorous substances, which persisted in many people and caused discomfort.
On the other hand, 66% of the participants reported at least one health disorder related to the factory fire, including ENT (otolaryngology), general, ocular, respiratory as well as sleep disorders. The survey also reveals that children are as affected as adults by these health problems.
About 38% of adults experienced tingling in the nostrils, throat, tongue, or nasal obstruction. Of these, 37% had headaches, faintness or dizziness. Also, 15% of the people questioned declared breathing difficulties.
Mental health particularly affected
The biggest impact of the fire, however, is not on the physical health of the inhabitants of the exposed area, but on their minds. Indeed, one year after the accident, analyzes show that their mental health has deteriorated, because of the nuisance they feel, the perception of odors, soot deposits around the home, but also the fact of having seen , heard or been awakened by the fire. The level of stress and anxiety is also higher for two thirds of the inhabitants. Moreover, an additional investigation concerning the psychological impact of the fire should arrive by 2022.
