A cocktail of chemicals near Bydgoszcz. “Employees had teeth falling out, their hair dyed in different colors”

Piotr Barejka, “Wprost”: On the surface of the former Zachem plant in Bydgoszcz, life goes on as if nothing had happened. There are warehouses of international giants, small businesses, even a nursery. Can you say what today, after all the years of operation of chemical plants, is under the surface?

Prof. Mariusz Czop: We know what primary substances have been emitted. We have identified phenol, which is a characteristic impurity for Zachem. We have aniline, benzene, toluene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, nitrotoluene and dinitrotoluene. We do not have identified organochlorine compounds, although we know that there are a lot of them. However, we do not know in detail what exactly these compounds are. In addition, these substances can turn into secondary substances, which are also not identified. We are dealing with a cocktail of chemicals that break down, creating new substances that can be even more toxic. It’s a toxic soup that lives.

However, we heard from the mayor of the city that, for example, in the industrial park that was created there, you can feel safe.

I have been amazed by the president’s statements for a long time. He has repeatedly said that he will show research that it is safe there, but it did not happen. And yet we can only be convinced of safety when we see tangible evidence, i.e. either test results or documents confirming that the area has been cleared. There are documents from the 90s that say that up to 30 percent. of the former Zachem is a contaminated area. I don’t know how these chemicals could have disappeared.