Sustainable chlordecone remediation in the French West Indies – Detection and environmental rehabilitation

Remediation aims to restore a contaminated environment to an acceptable state, often by removing, neutralizing, or degrading pollutants present in environmental matrices (soil, water, or air). The concept of remediation encompasses several strategies and methods tailored to the nature of the contaminant, environmental conditions, and remediation objectives. The objectives of remediation are: 1) to reduce contamination by eliminating or reducing the concentration of pollutants to levels considered safe for the environment and human health, 2) preserving environmental quality by restoring affected ecosystems and maintaining ecosystem services, 3) regulatory compliance by meeting air, water, and soil quality standards and regulations.

Remediation methods include: 1) physical remediation, including encapsulation methods that immobilize contaminants in materials to prevent their dispersion, 2) chemical remediation, which involves various chemical treatments of contaminants, such as oxidation/reduction, neutralization, or stabilization/solidification in the environment, 3) biological remediation, which includes biopreparation, bioremediation, and phytoremediation, which consist respectively of introducing microorganisms, using biological processes, and using plants to degrade, absorb, or accumulate contaminants, 4) ecological remediation, including phytostabilization, phytosorption, and phytodegradation.

The challenges and limitations of remediation are numerous and varied. The complexity of contaminants is a major obstacle; some pollutants are difficult to treat due to their toxicity, persistence in the environment, or chemical complexity. This is the case, for example, with chlordecone, which is highly toxic, persistent in the environment, and chemically complex. In addition, remediation projects can be costly due to the technical resources and monitoring efforts required. It is also crucial to design remediation methods in such a way as to minimize additional environmental impacts. Furthermore, social acceptability plays an important role, as remediation may require the involvement of stakeholders and local communities in order to be fully accepted and effective. In short, remediation is a multidisciplinary field that integrates chemistry, biology, engineering, and ecology, aiming to restore contaminated environments while protecting human health and ecosystems.

This article is part of a series of projects aimed at the sustainable decontamination of soil contaminated by chlordecone in the French West Indies, territories that have been heavily impacted by its widespread use. These projects rely largely on the development of effective methods for detecting and quantifying the pesticide and its metabolites in various environmental and biological...