Eternal chemicals in the soil Municipality of Cham ZG closes playground due to pollutants
Due to elevated PFAS levels in the soil, the municipality of Cham ZG has closed the children's playground "Abenteuerland Teuflibach" as a precautionary measure. The ZuKi association has had to suspend its activities.
A playground where children could experience nature as a place for little adventures has been closed with immediate effect because pollutants in the soil pose a health risk, reports the Luzerner Zeitung newspaper. PFAS, also known as eternity chemicals, make playing on the site a risk.
On Thursday afternoon, Yasmin Häusermann, the managing director of the ZuKi (Future Children) association, received a telephone request to close the "Teuflibach Adventure Land" in Cham ZG immediately. According to a statement from the canton of Zug, young children in particular are at risk. The closure was ordered by the Cham municipal council.
"The measured values are above the remediation value approved by the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), which requires measures to protect young children," explains the canton. Small children are particularly at risk because it cannot be ruled out that they will swallow soil.
Although there is no acute risk from the ingestion of PFAS-contaminated soil particles, this should be avoided due to the possible accumulation in the body.
Association has to stop almost all activities
Information boards have been erected at the entrances to the playground to draw attention to the situation.
The ZuKi association operates the adventure land with a service agreement from the municipality of Cham. A large part of its activities for children and families took place in the Abenteuerland. All of this has now been stopped until further notice. Yasmin Häusermann told the Luzerner Zeitung that she and her colleagues spent the whole of Friday morning informing the members of the association.
The closure of the site means a considerable financial loss for the association. Häusermann emphasizes that the most important thing is the health of the children. But they would not let it get them down either.
PFAS also in Zugerseefischen
Elevated PFAS levels have also been measured at other locations in the canton, reports Zug. Investigations last year showed that PFAS accumulate along the food chain in Lake Zug. Samples of predatory fish such as pike and perch exceeded the specified maximum levels.
In addition, the Schwarzbach and Sijentalbach streams in Lake Ennet show increased PFAS contamination. The PFAS levels in the water of Lake Zug were examined at several points and increase from the surface to the deepest point.
PFAS, per- and polyfluorinated alkyl compounds, have been used in many industrial processes and everyday products since the 1960s. They give surfaces water, grease and dirt-repellent properties.
These compounds are released into the environment during their manufacture or during the production of goods containing PFAS and are hardly degraded there. They can be detected in soil, surface water, groundwater and air. Scientists are investigating the long-term health risks posed by the regular ingestion of PFAS.
The editor wrote this article with the help of AI.
