NU.nl found a report in the archives of the North Netherlands about so-called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAKs) in the North Sea Canal area. In 1975, researchers conducted measurements at ten different measuring points.
In Wijk aan Zee in particular, the concentration of BAX was abnormally high: five times higher than outside the area around the blast furnaces, as Tata Steel was called at the time. “With winds over the Hoogovens site, strongly increased concentrations were measured at the Wijk aan Zee and IJmuiden measuring points and a slight increase in concentrations at Beverwijk, indicating a clear effect of the Hoogovens on the concentration level at the site.”
Over the course of a year, there was on average twenty times more air in Wijk aan Zee than is currently considered the maximum permissible limit. But researchers concluded in 1977 that these measurements were not really abnormal, because the air quality in foreign industrial cities was similar or even worse.
When the study was published, it received little publicity. It was the only national newspaper that paid attention to the report De Volkskrant. The newspaper devoted three paragraphs to it on page 6, commenting that “it cannot be said” whether emissions from Hugovens were unhealthy.
Podcastserie over Tata Steel
NU.nl-verslaggever Jeroen Kraan vond het rapport uit 1977 tijdens archiefonderzoek voor een podcastserie over Tata Steel en de milieugeschiedenis van de Hoogovens.
De komende maanden werken we verder aan deze serie. Tips? Mail naar jeroen@nu.nl.
However, the report shows that much was already known in the 1970s about the potential health harms caused by blast furnaces. It was known at the time that airborne devices could cause cancer.
In addition, the researchers made direct contact with coke plants in Hugovines, where coal is processed into fuel for the steel process. The measurements “give a strong impression that both coke plants have a significant impact on BAC concentrations in the Egmond area,” the report said.
These plants, now very old, are still among the most polluting parts of Tata Steel. Local residents want it closed as soon as possible. The North Sea Canal Zone Environment Agency is even investigating whether the factories’ permits could be cancelled.
Over the past 15 years, regular research has been conducted into the health of residents living near Tata Steel. Asbestos and lung cancer occur more frequently than average throughout the plant, but it seems difficult to pinpoint a direct link to the plant. A new report from the RIVM on this regard will be published later this week.
Previous RIVM studies have already shown that the dust settling around Tata Steel contains heavy metals and cysts. Although emissions of these substances are decreasing, according to Tata Steel, RIVM has so far seen no improvement in dust measurements.
Dust poses a particular danger to children playing outside. Therefore, the playing fields in Wijk aan Zee are cleaned daily by Tata Steel.
The amount of cysts in the air in Wijk aan Zee has already decreased sharply. In 2022, the concentration of carcinogens was a hundred times minimum than in measurements from 1975. However, they are still three times as common as in the observation area outside IJmond.
The World Health Organization (WHO) stresses that there is no safe level for suit fabrics, and emissions must be reduced as much as possible.
