For more than 20 years, pollution from former mining sites in the Orbiel Valley has raised environmental and health concerns. Santé publique France has been regularly consulted and has conducted several health studies on this issue among the local population. In October 2018, new flooding reignited residents’ concerns. In this context, Santé publique France was consulted by the Occitanie Regional Agency regarding the appropriateness of continuing health studies. The implementation of a “public health” initiative was proposed to give the population an opportunity to voice their concerns, questions, and expectations. To this end, Santé publique France is launching the PRiOR study: practices and perceptions of risks among residents living along the Orbiel Valley, in partnership with scientists from the University of Toulouse-Jean Jaurès (UT2J) and the CNRS.

Why assess the health impact of exposure to pollution?

When a health issue related to a site, pollution, or environmental nuisance arises locally, it is embedded in a territory with multiple dimensions: social, political, economic, legal, and so on. The public health issue—on which Santé publique France is legitimately authorized to act—is just one of several issues that must be addressed in collaboration with local stakeholders: site remediation, property values, job security, compensation for damages… Assessing these issues is therefore a necessary prerequisite for evaluating the extent to which the expected response involves dimensions beyond those initially considered, while also clarifying the public’s concerns and expectations regarding public health.

Objectives

To gather information on the residents of the Orbiel Valley, focusing particularly on:

• how they experience pollution in the area and perceive the associated risks (health, environmental, socio-economic, etc.),

• the expectations they express.

Give a voice to the residents of the Orbiel Valley and gather their perspectives on:

• their living conditions in the valley and their local area,

• their everyday practices and activities (shopping, walking, swimming, etc.),

• their concerns about pollution risks, particularly those linked to former mining activities,

• the sense of inequality that the situation may generate,

• and the expectations that arise from it.

Study Process

A preparatory phase

The questionnaire and the survey area were developed by the CNRS in partnership with Santé publique France. The study protocol was presented to the Orbiel Valley Interface Committee (a committee comprising local stakeholders: local associations, government agencies, and local authorities) to discuss the definition of the study area and the testing of the questionnaire.

The questionnaire testing phase took place in December 2020 with volunteer members of the interface committee and a few residents selected at random from the white pages. Its purpose was to refine the study questionnaire in terms of duration, response methods, etc.

Data Collection

“Adult” residents of the Orbiel Valley were surveyed between February 2021 and December 2022.

• 8,000 randomly selected residents were invited by mail to complete an online or telephone questionnaire; an additional 130 residents were interviewed in person in the valley;

• sociologists conducted individual face-to-face interviews with some of the questionnaire respondents or with those met in person who were open to a more in-depth interview;

• Three group interviews (focus groups) with amateur gardeners in the Orbiel Valley were facilitated by the research team as part of a practice monitoring initiative to study the effects of three gardening plots (the Vic irrigation association at the Pont del Gua, the Puisard association). This part of the study was called the “mustard experiment.”

Results

604 residents participated in the questionnaire survey, and in-depth individual interviews were conducted with 55 residents. As part of the mustard experiment, the three focus groups brought together between 3 and 14 amateur gardeners from the Orbiel Valley.

Key Takeaways

• Three distinct profiles of how residents perceive the environmental situation were identified

• Residents expressed expectations regarding information and collaborative work with scientists

• Cancer is the leading health condition residents attribute to pollution

• A perception of health status close to the national average

• The measures residents expect primarily concern the environment

What are the proposed actions?

Based on the study’s results, Santé publique France has formulated three proposed actions:

1. Ongoing communication, as close as possible to residents

2. Greater resident involvement in public health initiatives

3. Government support for the proposed actions