People living near the Chemours factory in Dordrecht and who keep chickens as a hobby are being warned not to eat their eggs because they contain high concentrations of PFAS, a complex group of chemicals linked to cancer and other health issues. 

Public health institute RIVM and the local health board checked eggs from chickens in Dordrecht, Papendrecht and Sliedrecht, all of which are close to the plant, and found too high levels of PFAS in 75% of them. 

Some eggs contained up to 22 times the permitted level of PFOA, which was made at the plant up to 2012, the NRC reported. But. PFOS, a type of PFAS not known to be emitted by Chemours or its predecessor Dupont, was also found in high concentrations. The source of that pollution is now being investigated. 

Earlier this month, the RIVM said it had found PFAS in sea foam along the Dutch coast but that it was unclear what the high concentrations mean for swimmers, surfers and walkers. The Dutch measurements follow Flemish research and indicate similar concentrations.

Sea foam results from the decomposition of sea algae or water pollution, particularly in windy conditions. PFAS tend to accumulate in sea foam, resulting in higher concentrations compared to seawater, the RIVM said. 

Last year the RIVM warned people who go fishing as a hobby to sharply reduce their consumption of fish, shrimp, oysters and mussels caught in the Westerschelde estuary because of chemical pollution.

Fish and shellfish caught in the estuary can contain eight to 10 times the amount of PFAS found in similar products sold in the shops, the RIVM said at the time.

In 2021 it emerged that chemicals company 3M in Belgium was flushing thousands of kilos of PFAS into the river, leading to research into the concentration of the chemicals in fish.