Water used to put out waste plant fire contaminated with PFAS
Firefighters used water contaminated with PFAS chemicals to put out a blaze at a waste processing plant in Gelderland that...
On Monday night, a fire at an illegally operating waste processing plant in Gelderland, Dinxperlo, burned for several hours. Firefighters used water contaminated with PFAS chemicals to extinguish the blaze, which took place in a 20m by 30m pile of wood chips. The lake Het Blauwe Meer, located nearby, has been closed to swimmers since 2024 due to high PFAS levels.
Most of the water subsequently drained into the sewage system. The Aalden municipal council is investigating the impact on drinking water supplies, but as of now, there are no consequences for residents using the sewage network. The waste processing plant, shut down in November 2025 for serious environmental breaches, was burning large quantities of unauthorized waste and mixing different types of waste.
PFAS chemicals, known as "forever chemicals," are linked to various health issues and are found in pesticides, packaging, non-stick cookware, and waterproof clothing. Recent studies have found high PFAS levels in Dutch drinking water, particularly in western areas. The public health agency RIVM has called for a total ban on PFAS in pesticides in the EU.
Written by urgent.news from DutchNews's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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