The municipality of Amsterdam will conduct additional soil research at the site of the Bijlmer disaster. It is being investigated how much pfos (a type of pfas) is in the soil. According to the GGD, there is no direct danger to people.
The reason for the research is the extinguishing work after the plane crash in 1992. Pfos was previously used in fire extinguishing foam and the substance ended up in the ground during the extinguishing, the municipality reports. PFOS has been banned in the Netherlands since 2009.
In 2017, it was also established that there is pfos in the soil in the vicinity of the Bijlmer disaster. In May, the municipality of Amsterdam imposed stricter rules on how much pfos may be in the soil. The situation is therefore different now, a spokesperson told AT5. Investigations at the site of the disaster have been carried out for some time, said the spokesperson.
In September, an independent research agency will investigate whether there is too much pfos in the soil around the disaster site. “We now want to know exactly how much pfos is in the soil there. Then we will see whether we need to take measures,” says the municipality.
The GGD says that there is no direct danger to people because the pfos is in the soil, so you do not come into contact with it quickly. “Nevertheless, we want as little pfos as possible in the soil everywhere in the city. That is why we are doing extra research,” said the municipality.
Residents will be notified by letter. The municipality has organized an information evening for next week. Resident meetings will also be organized in the coming weeks. A meeting about the results of the investigation will follow in December, NH News reports. Then it will also be announced what measures are needed.
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