Toxic Chemical Found in French Water Supplies, Affecting Hundreds of Thousands
Chloride of vinyl monomer, a carcinogen from aging PVC pipes, contaminates drinking water in several regions, sparking legal actions and calls for urgent infrastructure upgrades.
- An investigation reveals that hundreds of thousands of French residents are exposed to chloride of vinyl monomer (CVM), a carcinogenic chemical leaching from PVC pipes installed in the 1970s.
- Some water supplies exceeded the European safety limit of 0.5 µg/L by over 1,400 times, with the highest levels recorded in Dordogne and Orne departments.
- Approximately 3% of water quality tests conducted since 2012 were non-compliant, potentially exposing up to 2 million people to unsafe CVM levels.
- Replacing contaminated pipelines is estimated to cost between €12.6 billion and €30.6 billion, posing significant financial challenges for smaller municipalities.
- Legal actions, including lawsuits against the state and water suppliers, have been initiated by affected families, while a national platform has been launched to assist other potential victims.
L'Humanité 
