Umicore Hoboken has invested intensively in recent years to reduce the impact of our activities on the neighbourhood. Independent research recently showed that the construction of a green zone north of the factory site – between Curiestraat and Achturendagstraat – can have an additional positive health effect.
According to the study carried out by Arcadis, the positive health effect is mainly formed by increasing the distance between the emission source and local residents. Distance from the factory ensures lower exposure to dust. With the construction of a green zone, we are trying to ensure that habitation in the most critical zone for health makes way for greenery. In this way, we reduce children's exposure to lead.
The construction of the green zone, and the acquisition of private houses for this purpose, is a drastic social and societal measure. However, the green zone is necessary because families with children who live very close to the factory are the most vulnerable to elevated blood values. We are therefore pleased that we have been able to acquire the vast majority of the homes near the factory. This means that the planting of the greenery will start in 2024. Because the health of local residents is also paramount to us here. Lead in blood is especially harmful to the development of children.
The positive effect of the green zone is therefore in the effect created by increasing the distance, rather than a filtering effect by the planted vegetation. The (limited) influence of such a vegetation buffer depends on various factors such as the method of design, the type of vegetation, etc. However, the Arcadis study does not expect a significant decrease in the amount of lead particles present in the air outside the green zone. The lead-in-blood values north of the green zone are therefore not expected to decrease significantly as a result of the construction of the green zone, but the lead-in-blood values are already much lower there than closer to the factory.
The full Arcadis study can be found below.
