Exposure to fumes from beached Sargassum seaweed: ANSES reiterates and supplements its recommendations | handles

2017-04-24 10:48:56

Since August 2014, the West Indies and Guyana have been facing successive waves of Sargassum seaweed strandings on their coasts. Despite the means of cleaning implemented, these algae decompose on site. Their decomposition leads to the production of hydrogen sulphide (H₂S), sometimes detected at high concentrations. Physicians’ reports related to the health effects experienced by the population exposed to H₂S, as well as public complaints regarding the odor problem, have increased noticeably.

The ministries responsible for health, the environment and labor asked ANSES to carry out an expert appraisal on the emissions into the ambient air from decomposing Sargassum seaweed in the West Indies and Guyana. An opinion published in March 2016 presented the Agency’s initial conclusions and recommendations. It insisted on the need to collect stranded seaweed without delay and recommended that measures be implemented to protect workers responsible for collecting, transporting and processing seaweed. It also recommended that the population be informed that the seaweed should not be handled.

The Agency continued this work by investigating the ecology of Sargassum algae, their chemistry, their biodegradation and the kinetics of H emissions.₂S and other substances, especially during the decomposition of these algae following stranding.

The Agency’s recommendations

The conclusions of the expert report published today lead the Agency to reiterate its recommendations to be implemented concerning measures to prevent the health risks associated with exposure to H₂S :

• limit public exposurein particular by regularly collecting seaweed washed up on the coast, marking out collection sites and informing the population of the health risks associated with exposure to H₂S ;
• limit worker exposurein particular by wearing H detectors₂S, the use of mechanical means for collection as much as possible, the wearing of personal protective equipment, the training and information of workers on the risks associated with exposure to H₂S and the establishment of traceability for exhibitors’ work.

In addition, the expert report published today shows that Sargassum seaweed has a strong ability to trap and accumulate heavy metals, in particular arsenic and cadmium, which can pose a risk to human health and the environment. So, the Agency recommends prohibiting the possible use of these algae for human or animal foodpending the completion of more in-depth studies on the contamination of algae by heavy metals.

The Agency also recommends continuing research on:

• exposure related to Sargassum algae stranding situations and the effects on human health;
• the toxicity of H₂S and more particularly on the effects of chronic exposure to low doses of H₂S ;
• the indirect environmental and health impacts linked to the stranding of Sargassum algae (composition of the algae, presence of heavy metals);
• the proliferation and phenomenon of seaweed stranding in the French departments of America.

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