Overview
- France’s public health agency reported associations between proximity to large industrial basins and increased respiratory problems, notably childhood asthma.
- The analysis also found greater chronic respiratory morbidity among adults aged 40 and over in communes near major industrial clusters compared with areas far from industry.
- Santé publique France mapped communes using proximity and pollutant exposure indicators and matched these with local health data to detect patterns.
- The agency cautioned that results vary by data source and indicator and said only part of the findings support a link, calling for careful interpretation.
- Recommendations include improved exposure metrics, expanded surveillance, and tighter regulation and emission controls around industrial basins, defined as zones grouping multiple sites.