Pollution at high altitude. Greenpeace: “Here the culprits” – The Republic

ROME – The view is breathtaking: from the top you can see expanses of pristine snow-capped mountains, as far as the eye. Nice but not pristine. The traces of urban and industrial pollution found to the summit of the Himalayas are added and persistent hazardous chemicals used in the production of outdoor clothing, with just the one advertised on the spot wildlife. The complaint comes from a Greenpeace report, “Footprints in the snow.”

Between May and June last eight teams of the environmental activists have organized expeditions to mountain areas in three continents to take samples of water and snow that were then analyzed in the laboratory. From tubes it showed the presence of PFCs, and perflorurati polifluorati compounds used in many industrial processes for the production of consumer goods: the outdoor clothing industry uses them waterproof and stain-resistant finishes. Once released into the environment degrade very slowly, remaining in their original form for several years and dispersing.

The highest concentrations were found in the lake of Pilate, the Sibilla hills, between Umbria and Marche, but also in the High Tatras, Slovakia, and the Alps, the Swiss national park. Smaller amounts in Chilean Patagonia, in China, in Russia, in Turkey and in the Scandinavian countries.

“We have identified traces of PFCs in snow samples collected in all locations examined,” says Giuseppe Hungarian, head of the Greenpeace toxics campaign Italy. “Of the seventeen chemical compounds found in all snow samples analyzed, four have shown higher concentrations in samples of Lake Pilate. Among them is the PFOS (Perfluorooctane sulfonate) already subject to restrictions under the Stockholm Convention “.

Some Pfc can cause damage to the reproductive system and hormones, promote the growth of cancer cells and are suspected mutagens. Those short-chain, more volatile, can be transported even in remote regions of the planet. In fact – the report notes – which also produce outdoor clothing brands, such as Puma and Adidas, have already adopted ambitious targets for the elimination of these pollutants. And some smaller companies specialized in the production but for the outdoors, such as Fjällräven, Paramo, Pyua, Rotauf and R’ADYS, already produce entire collections of clothing waterproof Pfc-free. “But it is the industry’s leading brands, such as The North Face, Columbia, Patagonia, Mammut and Salewa, showing little sense of responsibility when it comes to eliminating the Pfc” added Greenpeace.

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