The biomonitoring research by ToxicoWatch, in collaboration with Zero Waste Europe sheds light on the alarming levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), heavy metals, and other toxic substances near the Cementáreň Turňa nad Bodvou cement plant.
Key findings from the study reveal significant environmental and health concerns, including elevated levels of dioxins in backyard chicken eggs, high concentrations of heavy metals in mosses and soils, and contamination of water and sediments with PFAS and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Particularly troubling is the discovery of a severely contaminated children's playground just 630 meters from the cement kiln, highlighting the urgent need for action.
The results call for immediate steps to mitigate these risks, including establishing a technical working group to improve environmental monitoring and implementing annual biomonitoring programs to track pollutant levels. The organisation also urges authorities to apply the precautionary principle to ensure the health and safety of local communities and the preservation of the Slovak Karst National Park.
"This study confirms the serious environmental and health risks we have long feared," said Lenka Šingovská, representative of Zelený živel o.z. "We call on all stakeholders—industry, government, and civil society—to act swiftly to address this contamination and protect the residents and natural ecosystems of our region."
