Gaza – Brussels: Europe and the Arabs

A recent scientific study has revealed the presence of chemicals known as PFAS, or "perennial chemicals," in potato crops grown in the Gaza envelope region.

According to researchers, this pollution may be linked to explosions and military operations, which are believed to have contributed to the release and dispersal of these substances into the air and soil before they eventually settled in agricultural lands. This was reported by Euronews, the European news network based in Brussels. The study showed the presence of PFAS compounds in all potato leaf samples collected from fields in the Gaza envelope. They were also detected in most potato tubers (the edible part), but at lower concentrations.

According to the research team's estimates, the spread of these compounds was not solely driven by soil pollutants. Military operations and explosions contributed to their release into the air, where they were then carried and deposited by the wind in nearby agricultural lands. PFAS are a broad group of chemical compounds characterized by their remarkable resistance to degradation, both in the environment and within the human body, earning them the moniker "perpetual chemicals."

These substances are found in many everyday applications, such as packaging, waterproof fabrics, Teflon-coated cookware, cosmetics, and plastics.

They are also used in firefighting foams, particularly at airports, bases, and military sites.

Their danger lies in their gradual accumulation in the environment and the human body, and their resistance to easy breakdown.

Scientific research has linked some types of PFAS to serious illnesses, including cancer and other health problems.

How do military munitions transmit chemical contamination?

The study proposes a scientific hypothesis that these toxic substances may be released into the atmosphere during explosions. This is because some munitions and military equipment contain PFAS compounds in concentrations ranging from 1% to 3% of the total explosive weight. These substances are also used in some munitions deployed globally. Based on this hypothesis, researchers believe that ongoing military operations near agricultural lands may have directly contributed to the dispersal of these pollutants through the air, leading to contamination of crops in neighboring areas.

To investigate this, the research team analyzed samples from 34 agricultural fields in the Gaza Envelope region, along with three control fields in the Ra'anana area.

The results supported this hypothesis, revealing that potato leaves in the Gaza Envelope contained concentrations of volatile PFAS compounds, particularly PFBA, approximately 10 times higher than those in the control areas.

The data also showed that pollution levels in the plant leaves were significantly higher than in the soil, indicating that the primary source of pollution was atmospheric deposition, rather than direct absorption through the roots.

Potato tubers, the part intended for human consumption, showed lower levels of these substances, averaging approximately 0.15 nanograms per gram. However, the researchers emphasized that precise "safe levels" of exposure to these compounds cannot yet be determined, given the need for further in-depth toxicology studies.

For its part, the Israeli Ministry of Health confirmed that it had conducted preliminary surveys of vegetables, water, and soil, and observed initial findings indicating the presence of signs that warrant further research and evaluation. It also explained that there is a variation in pollution levels between crops irrigated with fresh water and those irrigated with wastewater or water suspected of being contaminated, announcing that it will publish a final and comprehensive report later, after the studies are completed.

Toxins Leak into Soil and Water Sources
The study detected PFAS compounds in all soil samples tested along a 19-kilometer stretch of the border, including substances classified globally as potential carcinogens, such as PFOS and PFOA. The repercussions extended to the water supply, with supporting data showing that approximately 15% of drinking water wells contained residues of PFAS compounds at levels exceeding regulatory limits. This prompted authorities to close a number of these wells as a precautionary measure.

Data also revealed that about 70% of water sources used for agriculture were contaminated with these compounds above permissible levels.

The situation is exacerbated by the fact that nearly half of the water used in the agricultural sector relies on treated wastewater, increasing the likelihood of contamination of crops.

Researchers warn that the PFAS crisis has become a global, transboundary phenomenon due to decades of intensive industrial and consumer use, to the point that it is now being detected even in previously unpolluted natural environments.

One of the scientists involved in the study explained that human exposure to these substances has become widespread, coming from multiple everyday sources including food, water, air, clothing, and kitchen utensils. He indicated that reducing exposure and decreasing the use of products containing these substances is currently the most effective option.