The Stories are in the soil!: Two ways the French interact with soil in the region

The Nord Pas-De Calais is split traditionally between agricultural and industrial regions. Each has its own unique relationship to the soil.

The Potato and Soil Acidity

Photo Credit:http://www.fao.org

The agricultural portion of the region enjoys a favorable relationship to the soil. A small crescent of the region's water and soil is slightly acidic, with a PH between 5.5-6.5 as demonstrated by the map above, making the land ideal for potato growing. Potatoes are the largest agricultural export from the region, and account for half of the potatoes consumed in France. The export of potatoes is a major economic driver for poorer parts of the region.

Charlotte potatoes grow very well in the slightly acidic soil of the region. Photo credit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/charlotte_potato

Industrial Pollution and Soil

The industrial portions of the region have a more tenuous relationship to the soil. Undesirable industrial side effects, known as externalities, have compromised soil and ground water quality in many parts of the region. The small town of Évin-Malmaison, as seen below, is located between two of the regions greatest sources of soil and ground water contaminants. 

Photo Credit:
http://www.evin-malmaison.fr/?attachment_id=278 

Located 12 Kilometers to the west of Évin-Malmaison is the former Metaleurop lead smelter, pictured below, in Lens. The smelter was operational for most of the twentieth century, and is viewed as the primary culprit responsible for pollution in the area.

Photo Credit:http://www.sulphuric-acid.com/sulphuric-acid-on-the-web/acid%20plants/Metaleurop-France.JPG

Located 4 Kilometers to the south-east of Évin-Malmaison is the Union Minière France located in Auby. This location, as seen below, is still active today, but the French government has imposed drastic operating sanctions on the facility to control pollution from the facility.

Photo Credit:http://www.sulphuric-acid.com/sulphuric-acid-on-the-web/acid%20plants/Metaleurop-France.JPG 

Researchers at L'Université de Paris conducted a study in Évin-Malmaison to examine the pollution caused by the two industrial sites surrounding the town.  They found that large amounts of heavy-metal contamination, including zinc and lead, had infiltrated the soil and ground water. Researchers concluded that the primary mode of contamination was the atmospheric deposition of materials, known as acid rain.

Photo Credit:http://echo2.epfl.ch/VICAIRE/mod_2/chapt_3/main.htm 

 

 

The above photo demonstrates how pollutants are distributed into the ground water and soil via the hydrologic cycle.

The toxic materials found in the soil and ground water now pose a threat to the people and wildlife of the town and surrounding areas.  The French Government shut down the Smelter in Lens in 1995, and has been working with scientists ever since in an effort to neutralize the contamination caused by decades of use.

Research Credits:

http://www.francepotatoboard.com/en/produits-pomme-de-terre-france-potato- 

http://umaine.edu/publications/2077e/ 

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969797001848#  
http://echo2.epfl.ch