We are aware of the publication of the cancer report in the Hoboken-Hemiksem-Kruibeke (only in Dutch) study area, which examines whether there is an increased risk of cancers related to possible exposure to metals in the study area compared to Flanders and the municipality of Antwerp.
The report was drawn up by the Department of Care, based on figures requested from the Cancer Registry. It then looked at whether there is an increased risk of different forms of cancer compared to a reference group, and this in men and women over a period of 15 years, namely from 2008-2022.
The conclusion of the study shows that
- The risk of lung and gastric cancer in men, and lung cancer in women in the study area
a. is statistically significantly higher than in Flanders and
b. is comparable to the municipality of Antwerp.
- The risk of prostate cancer in the study area and in the municipality of Antwerp is statistically significantly lower than the average in Flanders.
- The risk of other cancers is not significantly different in the study area compared to Flanders.
The research methodology and data in this report do not allow a causal relationship to be established between the relative risk of certain types of cancer and the exposure linked to emissions from the Umicore site in Hoboken. These emissions are just one of the factors that could have an impact on cancer risk, in addition to lifestyle habits (smoking, alcohol consumption, diet, etc.), heredity, working conditions, etc., which can also play a role. It is also unclear whether the counted cases lived in the study area during the study period and possibly before 2008. The nature of this report does not allow us to investigate this and to make any statement about it.
We understand that health and safety are important concerns for our neighbours. As a long-standing company with deep roots in the community, we continue to take these concerns very seriously and remain committed to our environment.
The Umicore site in Hoboken invests 25 million euros annually in environmental improvement projects in order to further limit the impact of the activities on the environment. Numerous targeted initiatives – such as the air purification at the precious metals concentration department, the additional gas purification at the blast furnace plant, the weather-dependent operation of the site and the hundreds of meters of windshields – have demonstrably positive effects on environmental performance.
We work closely with government agencies, which can endorse the ongoing improvements, including on the basis of VMM's measurement results (only in Dutch).
We remain available for further clarification and are open to constructive dialogue with all parties involved.
This report is not part of the HBM study that took place in 2023 and was published last year.
