Pediatric cancer case of Vincennes – Wikipedia

The Vincennes pediatric cancer case is an environmental and media affair.

It began in 1999 with the discovery of cases of pediatric cancers, followed by the highlighting, during the environmental survey of pollution of the underlying water table, with chlorine derivatives, trichlorethylene (TCE), and perchloroethylene (PCE) also called tetrachlorethylene (as well as vinyl chloride derived from TCE) from the old Kodak chemical factory located on site, which had closed, then was dismantled in 1986, following pollution to cyanide .

The nursery school is relocated the first in 2001.

The epidemiological study concludes that an excess case of cancer in the nursery-south school, and does not highlight any significant link between these cancers and the pollution of the basement. The study is highly criticized on the method and the conclusions by the French toxicologist Henri Pézerat.

Then follow other discoveries of pollution to the same chlorinated substances of the water table, and other relocations of educational establishments, with the application of the precautionary principle.

At the end of 1999, the French toxicologist Henri Pézerat was alerted from the presence of an excess case of cancers in the Franklin Roosevelt nursery school in Vincennes, built on the site of the former chemical factory Kodak Where were manufactured photographic supports and emulsions.

A local doctor, Dr. Vanessa Panteghini makes a report to the director of the DDASS, and launches the alert.

Henri Pézerat warns the media and then wrote to the Director General of Health, who seized the Institute for the health monitoring.

In May 2000 , the Institute for the health monitoring gives a first epidemiological investigation report carried out according to the protocols selected at the international level (CDC) and concludes that a cancer group most likely randomly linked.

In 2000, parents of the two main associations of parents of school students, interviewed by a journalist and writer who follows the case, Carine Mayo, gathered in a collective of parents, the Vigilance Franklin collective to obtain the results environmental analyzes already carried out.

At the same time, Henri Pézerat helped by a doctor and parents, begins to question residents and take soil and air samples, with the help of Criirad for the search for radio-activity and Radon.

In 2001, the presence of a new case of cancer of a 4 -year -old child, confirmed to the DDASS by the declaration of a doctor, led to the carrying out of a new epidemiological study ^{[ first ]} .

In May 2001 , the Minister of Health, Bernard Kouchner, announces the closure and relocation of the Franklin Roosevelt nursery school ^{[ 2 ]} .

The president of the Vigilance Franklin collective ^{[ 3 ]} , Véronique Lapides is starting to list the previous cases of rare cancers already known on the spot and highlights the high number of cancers among children who have attended the Franklin Roosevelt nursery school built in Vincennes, as well as in residents living on the site of the Former chemical factory of the company Kodak ^{[ 4 ]} .

The environmental study highlights pollution of the underlying water table by carcinogenic solvents such as benzene, trichlorethylene and vinyl chloride.

But the epidemiological study (which concludes an excess case of cancer in nursery school ^{[ 5 ]} , but does not count the new case of 2001, which however triggered the crisis) does not highlight any significant link between these cancers and the pollution of the basement. It concludes that a “spatiotemporal aggregate” or a cluster due to chance like the first study.

The methodology of this study which is based on national and international protocols as well as on numerous environmental analyzes carried out by the town hall epidemiological study is however criticized ^{[ 6 ]} . “The authors have chosen a punctual accident model, cutting the phenomenon into 3 separate phases over time, a” pre -worn “phase, a phase of” alert “, and a phase of” postalert “, While a continuous linear model would have been more suitable because pollution is present in the water table and was not withdrawn, “said H. Pézerat. A method that does not change epidemiological analysis according to the invs.

In 2003, the Green MP, Yves Cochet proposed the constitution of a parliamentary commission of inquiry ^{[ 7 ]} which is rejected by the National Assembly.

Nursery school reopens in May 2004 ^{[ 8 ]} , on its old site, after major concreting work.

Véronique Lapides is formed by Henri Pézerat and other French scientists, and continues to participate in the environmental monitoring of the site. She joins the whistleblowers of Citizen Sciences ^{[ 9 ]} and participate in the development of the book Health alerts ^{[ ten ]} From Dorothée Benoit-Browaeys and André Cicolella, environmental health researcher at the National Institute of the Industrial Environment and Risks (INERIS).

In 2006, employees of the Ministry of Finance (Minefi) who must move to Vincennes, refuse to settle on a polluted site and all their unions called together to sign a petition ^{[ 11 ]} . They won.

The mayor of Vincennes, implicated in the leaflet of Véronique Lapides, who distributed it alongside the employees of the Minefi, files a defamation complaint. It is dismissed by the Créteil court in July 2008 ^{[ twelfth ] , [ 13 ]} .

Véronique Lapids has long continued to request the depollution of the site. Since the end of 2009, his association has had no response from the health authorities, on the issues posed by the site who is still underway on the site and the extension of pollution outside the risk perimeters ^{[ 14 ]} .

In 2009, Véronique Lapides and her association joined the Health Environment Network (RES) ^{[ 15 ]} .

Since then, the environmental surveillance of this site has been stopped, no other case of additional pediatric cancer has been reported.

The evacuation of the Saint Exupéry college, the North crèche, the school catering of the North Kindergarten, 18 years later [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

In November 2017 , on the occasion of the enlargement work of the Saint Exupery college, during the preliminary environmental survey, concentrations of trichlorethylene chlorine derivatives (TCE), and perchloroethylene (PCE) also called tetrachlorethylene, are found in the air and the Departmental council decides to evacuate the college and the crèche ^{[ 16 ]} , against the advice of parents of students who do not yet have figures from these preliminary studies, and do not accept the relocation of the children of the Saint Exupéry college in Vincennes, the refectory of the North North School and the crèche more than 8 kilometers ^{[ 17 ]} .

Would be responsible this time, the metal object manufacturing plant Bac and threads From the beginning of the 20th century, located on site ^{[ 18 ]} .

TCE rates in the college refectory would be 213 µg (micrograms)/m³ and 40 to 60 µg/m³ in classrooms. These rates would be present in 70% of the establishment.

These chlorinated solvents were found to a lesser extent, in the building welcoming the Liberté crèche, the maternal assistant relay (RAM) and the school catering of the North Kindergarten.

The Departmental Council would have been in possession of the first results for almost two months ( September 21, 2017 ) ^{[ 19 ]}

In a concern for transparency, the Vigilance Franklin collective, which has still existed, since 1999, has been consulted by the authorities.

During the public meeting of November 15, 2017 , anxiety, anger and misunderstanding were palpable ^{[ 20 ]} .

The results of the preliminary soil analysis, published on the town hall site the next day highlight (p 61/283) (Table of the results analyzed on the soils): hydrocarbon, TCE, PCE and Benzene pollution.

The results of the 2nd campaign in the air, published on the Val de Marne site confirm the first ^{[ 21 ]} .

Two important pollution for the same solvents, in less than 20 years, in a sector of 1,100 meters, as the crow flies [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

The responsibility of ex-user Kodak, located only within 1,100 meters, as the crow flies, was not implicated, by the fact that the Saint-Exupery college is located upstream of the ex-user Kodak, of the sense of flow of the water table.

On its site, the Vigilance Franklin collective indicates that he had a tablecloth in 2016 carried out in 2016, the prefecture having completely stopped the surveillance of the polluted tablecloth, directly under the old location of the Kodak factory, and that the level rose to that of 2003, without however reaching that of 2000-2001, at the time of the lifts of chlorinated solvents of the tablecloth in the air ^{[ 22 ]} . New surveillance would be planned in 2021.

This rise in water table could be fueled by an increase in the volume (with or without pollutants) of the northern tablecloth coming from Montreuil, which with de-industrialization could have stopped its industrial pumps, for thirty years like Vincennes, and rainwater.

It appears urgent to resume the chemical surveillance of ex-site Kodak, and a follow-up committee, especially if the polluted tablecloth is more fueled by volumes (possibly polluted also) coming from the north.

Under Saint-Exupéry college, the potentially sub-frightening water table is polluted [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

The results of the first environmental study (20/09/17) show that, under the Saint Exupéry college, there may be low water circulation in the embankments of 0.4 to 2.6 meters, below the surface (page (page 19/283) The water table can be rush (Figure 5 Page 19/283) and that there are risks of raising a tablecloth ^{[ 23 ]} .

The November 20, 2017 , the analysis of groundwater under the Saint-Exupery college shows massive pollution of one out of 5 piezometer, the PZ3 to the PCE at 39,000 µg/L, and in TCE at 19,000 µg/L, and less important pollution From 2 other PZ4 PCE to 2,100µg/L
and PZ5 PCE at 2700 µg/L ^{[ 24 ]} .

The absence of vinyl chloride, composed of degradation of the TCE, could suggest that pollution is recent, or affects very superficial depths, where chemical reactions could not be carried out properly.

A gas measurement campaign on the ground floor of 20 residents of the Diderot-Liberté district is decided ^{[ 25 ]}

After 6 months and twelve million euros in work, the Provisional College opens on 4000 m2 next to the Château de Vincennes, courses des Maréchaux. ^{[ 26 ]}

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