One of the most popular tourist destinations for Europeans is the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe and Martinique. The island thrives on the sun, sea, and sand, and their tourist number grows every year. But not all tourists know that the tropical island has a chronic pollution problem underneath the fun exterior.
What is chlordecone?
Chlordecone, a chemical that was known to cause cancer, was used on the banana plantation on the tropical island for 20 years. Now, almost all local residents have chlordecone in their blood. Emmanuel Macron, the French President, called this problem an environmental scandal, and he stated that France must take responsibility for the health of the adult locals. He visited Martinique in 2018 and met the locals.
French President Emmanuel Macron has called it an "environmental scandal" and said the state "must take responsibility." He visited Martinique last year and was briefed on the crisis on the islands, known in France as the Antilles. Guadeloupe MP Justine Benin, who was in charge of the report, said in a statement that the people of Antilles are angry and anxious as they felt they were abandoned by the republic as no health support has come even after the discovery. The people of Antilles are resilient as they have survived hurricanes before, but their trust in the government needs to be restored.
Effect on the environment
The rivers, coastal waters, and large tracts of soil are all contaminated. The authorities are trying to keep the poisonous chemical out of the food chain in order to save those who are not infected yet. However, it is deemed difficult because most products come from smallholders, and they are usually sold at the roadside. Although keeping the chemical out of the food is difficult, keeping the chemical out of drinking water is easy as carbon filters are used to remove contaminants.
In America, a factory that produced chlordecone was shut down in 1975 after the workers fell ill. But Antilles banana growers continued to use the chemical for two decades.
But what is chlordecone? It is a chemical that is an endocrine disruptor, it can interfere with hormones, and it can cause diseases. WHO describes it as carcinogenic as it caused liver tumors when it was tested in lab mice. Chlordecone was already labeled as hazardous in 1972, and it was immediately banned in America after hundreds of workers were contaminated at the factory in Virginia in 1975. Their symptoms included slurred speech, nervous tremors, low sperm counts, and short-term memory loss.
In 1972, French agriculture minister Jacques Chirac, who later became president, authorized the use of chlordecone. It was not until 1993 that the Antilles banned chlordecone, and this delay attributed to lobbying pressure from banana growers. The said chemical is slow to break down in the environment so that contamination can go on for centuries. During the Stockholm Convention in 2016, chlordecone was restricted globally.
What is the health impact?
From 2013 to 2014, it was found that 95% of adults in Martinique had chlordecone in their blood, while 93% of adults in Guadeloupe had chlordecone in their blood. That is about 750,000 people who are contaminated.
Professor Multigner and his colleagues found a link between prostate cancer and higher chlordecone concentrations in the blood. This study was released in 2010. Their conclusion was based on a study of 623 men in Guadeloupe who were newly diagnosed with prostate cancer. Chlordecone was also the cause of premature births in the tropical island.
France has conducted public awareness campaigns in the Antilles since 2008, warning the people about the risk of using chlordecone. The authorities from the island are monitoring local fruit and vegetables, as well as meat and fish. The French ministers have all been questioned at the parliamentary inquiry, and the government is now looking for a way to help those who were affected.
