DuPont workers in Kerkrade also exposed to toxic chemicals

DuPont employees that worked in the Lycra plant in Kerkrade were also exposed to toxic solvent DMAc, like their colleagues in Dordrecht. DuPont and previous owner Ornatex new of the chemical's health risks, yet staff still shaved and rinsed Lycra yarns unprotected, the Volkskrant report after speaking to 25 employees and former employees. The Judiciary is currently investigating the unprotected use of toxic chemicals, including DMAc, in the DuPont plants in Dordrecht. At least 33 women suffered stillborn babies, miscarriages, cervical cancer or children with abnormalities after working with DMAc. In 1986 DuPont instructed former owner Ornatex to study the health risks of DMAc after an employee in the Kerkrade Lycra plant noticed the sell of the chemical. Air tests in the factory revealed twice the maximum acceptable concentration of DMAc. The source of the DMAc was found to be wet Lycra coils from the Dordrecht plant, who sent it to Kerkrade for further treatment. The investigation also indirectly addressed the health risks of DMAc. By interviewing former employees of the Kerkrade factory, the Volkskrant discovered that the company tried to reduce the DMAc evaporation in the plant by drying the wet Lycra. This stopped after several weeks because the textile fibers did not dry properly. The factory also installed air measurement devices, but these were moved over time, according to the former employees. They had to occasionally undergo urine tests, but never saw the results. And they worked without protective clothing because it hindered the work. After reports of poisoned Dordrecht employees, the Kerkrade employees are concerned about their health. Man colleagues died young or are currently sick, though a direct link to DMAc is hard to prove. According to Jacob de Boer, professor of environmental chemistry and toxicology at the Vrije Universiteit, the DMAc exposure was likely lower in Kerkrade than in Dordrecht, as the poison in the Lycra evaporated somewhat during transport. "But that makes the situation in Kerkrade no less relevant. The security measures were inadequate", he said to the newspaper. DuPont released a short statement saying that the company is convinced it acted "appropriately and responsibly". "Working with substances such as DMAc brings with it obligations which DuPont always recognized. There is an ongoing investigation at the Public Prosecutor on how DMAc was handled. In order not to interfere with the investigation, DuPont will currently not make any further comments." DuPont took over the Kerkrade Lycra factory completely in 1992. In 2004 it was handed over to Invista. In 2006 DuPont stopped Lycra production in Dordrecht.