Eternal pollutants, namely PFAS, not only contaminate water and soil, but also the air we breathe. A new report by Greenpeace Italy reveals new disturbing details: Piedmont is the epicenter of fluorinated gas pollution in our country, with 76% of national emissions concentrated in this region. And guess who has the biggest responsibility?
Piedmont ranks first for F-gas emissions
The investigation by the Greenpeace Italia Investigative Unit, revealed in preview by The Pressanalyzed data from the European Pollutant Emissions Register (PRTR), highlighting a worrying situation. Between 2007 and 2023, out of a total of 3,766 tonnes of fluorinated gases released in Italy, 2,863 tonnes, equal to 76% of the national total, come from Piedmont.
The vast majority of these emissions, approximately 2,828 tonnes, are concentrated in the Municipality of Alessandria, in the hamlet of Spinetta Marengo. The reason? Syensqo, the former Solvay, is based here, the only Italian chemical company that still produces PFAS. Alone, this company has generated more than half of Italy’s fluorinated gas pollution over sixteen years, and in 2023 alone the plant was responsible for 55% of national F-gas emissions.
The link between fluorinated gases and PFAS
But why worry about fluorinated gases? F-gases, widely used in refrigeration and industrial processes, are closely linked to PFAS: many of them, in fact, can degrade or transform in the environment into PFAS, the infamous “eternally” persistent substances. Exposure to PFAS is associated with serious health effects, including some forms of cancer, immune system and thyroid problems.
Some fluorinated gases, once released into the atmosphere, can transform into trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), a type of PFAS that is widespread worldwide. This compound accumulates in streams and drinking water because it does not decompose, making it a persistent source of pollution. Precipitation carries it into the surrounding environment, contributing to the contamination of soil and water.
Recently, the German Environment Agency asked the European Chemicals Agency to classify TFA as a reproductive toxicant, highlighting the urgency of monitoring and reducing the use of these PFAS precursors.
A history of pollution that has lasted for decades
The story of Solvay, now Syensqo, in Spinetta Marengo is not new. For years the company has been at the center of controversy over PFAS pollution that has contaminated soil and water in the area. This is why the Stop Solvay Committee was born, a local group that fights for the protection of the health and environment of the Alessandria area.
A small victory recently arrived thanks to the Circolo Legambiente Ovadese Valli Stura and Orba, which the Piedmont Regional Administrative Court ruled in favor of: the Province and the Syensqo company will have to provide the documentation on emissions which has so far been denied with justifications linked to industrial secrecy.
Alternatives to PFAS
The data shows a progressive decline in emissions starting from 2019-2020, partly due to the pandemic and the resulting closures. In 2022, the former Solvay announced the progressive elimination of PFAS fluorosurfactants by 2026, focusing on a new generation fluorinated surfactant, C6O4, defined by the company as “non-bioaccumulative”.
But is this alternative really safe? According to Medicina Democratica, C6O4 has the same acute toxicity as the PFAS it should replace, while adequate studies are lacking for long-term toxicity. Research by the University of Padua and the CNR Water Research Institute has highlighted negative impacts on biological systems.
The situation became so critical that between June and July 2024 the Province of Alessandria had to order the suspension of C6O4 production for a month, due to excessive levels of pollution detected in the surrounding waters and soil.
F-gases are not only a health risk, but also a serious threat to the climate. They are greenhouse gases with a global warming potential thousands of times greater than that of CO2. HCFC-22, for example, has a global warming impact 5,280 times greater than that of carbon dioxide.
In Italy there is still no law that prohibits the production and use of PFAS. While progress has been made on limits for drinking water, there is a lack of any national regulation establishing a cap on fluorinated gas emissions. The only rules in force are those of the European F-Gas Regulation, updated in 2024, which provides for the progressive reduction of the use of these substances by 2030, while leaving the task of organizing controls and defining sanctions to the Member States.
According to Greenpeace Italia, there already exist several safe and non-dangerous alternatives to replace fluorinated gases in industrial processes, as also highlighted by a study by ISPRA. It is therefore urgent that Italy adopts adequate legislation to protect the health of citizens and the environment from these pollutants.
