Looking for clues: After the fire at the waste incineration plant in Leverkusen Chemical Park
Picture: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
An investigation of the soot residues that fell on surrounding residential areas after the Leverkusen fire showed that the pollution level was very low. However, this does not mean that everything is ready.
SecondThe North Rhine-Westphalia Environment Agency found “only low-level pollution” in the smoke and dust that fell from the hazardous waste facility in the Leverkusen Chemical Park in the urban area. The authorities announced on Friday. “Contrary to worries and expectations, we did not find any critical levels of dioxins and PCBs,” said Ulrich Quaß, head of LANUV’s special operations. This is good news. “Of course, we don’t know whether there will be any further releases, and we are not yet able to measure it in a short period of time.”
In the middle of this week, environmental protection agencies warned that dioxins, PCBs and hydrocarbons may escape from the smoke after the explosion. For polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and so-called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), very low values have been measured, which are below the evaluation limit. Therefore, dioxin cannot be detected. The so-called reaction conditions, such as the temperature of “uncontrolled combustion”, as LANUV said explosion, will not be conducive to the formation of substances, “it will even inhibit this process,” it said. The fire brigade and environmental protection agencies also found no abnormalities in the measurement of pollutants in the air. However, this does not mean that everything is clear. “At present, the investigation of other substances involved in the accident is still underway,” LANUV said.
Therefore, precautions continue to apply: residents should not currently eat fruits and vegetables in the garden, should not touch contaminated surfaces or clean themselves. This applies to the affected urban area of Leverkusen and the immediate vicinity of the cities of Leichlingen and Opraden. The National Environment Agency hopes to publish an investigation report on its website.
