"PFAS pollution: French citizens take on chemical giants", 3 February 2026

In what has been called “Europe’s largest civil lawsuit over PFAS”, 192 citizens supported by four associations took industrial giants Arkema and Daikin Chemicals to court on Thursday, 29 January.

The claimants, all residents of an industrial cluster south of Lyon dubbed ‘Chemical Valley’, are seeking damages of more than €36 million in damages...
“This legal action marks a historic new step in the fight against persistent pollutants, so that health can finally take precedence over economic interests,” said Jérémie Suissa, chief executive of non-profit environmental action group Notre Affaire à Tous...

Since 2022, several reports have established widespread PFAS pollution of the air, soil and water, with the toxic chemicals found in wildlife, flora and food products – and the blood of residents in an area that is home to 200,000...

“We want to hold the polluters accountable,” said lawyer Louise Tschanz. “Arkema and Daikin had long been aware of the toxicity of PFAS and the seriousness of the situation, yet they continued to pollute.”

Polluting the environment must become “synonymous with financial miscalculation”, she said.

Above all, the civil action is intended to “put the victims – local residents – at the center of the proceedings,” explained Emma Feyeux, who runs an environmental discrimination project at Notre Affaire à Tous...