February 2, 2026. Analyses have revealed the presence of PFAS in eggs, vegetables and sometimes in water intended for consumption.
On January 31, 2026, 192 residents of several municipalities located south of Lyon filed a summons before the Lyon judicial court against the industrial groups Arkema and Daikin Chemical. The plaintiffs are seeking compensation for damages they believe are directly linked to massive PFAS pollution, observed for several years in the local environment.
PFAS: A civil complaint based on multiple and documented damages
The summons filed by the residents aims to obtain overall compensation estimated at more than 36 million euros. According to information provided by the plaintiffs’ lawyers, this sum corresponds to several types of damages, including health impacts, lasting anxiety damage, as well as loss of enjoyment related to the impossibility of consuming certain local products. These demands are based on repeated environmental findings establishing the abnormal presence of PFAS in water, soil and certain food products.
According to Le Parisien, the plaintiffs include 25 minors, exposed since birth to these chemical substances, which reinforces the health dimension of the case. The applicants assert that the risks linked to PFAS were known for a long time, while emphasizing that industrial emissions would have continued for decades. Mediapart specifies that this civil action is presented by associations as the largest ever initiated in Europe on this subject, both by the number of victims and by the amount claimed.
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Arkema and Daikin at the heart of a heavily polluted industrial corridor
The industrial sites of Arkema and Daikin Chemical are located on the Pierre-Bénite platform, in a sector historically dedicated to heavy chemicals. Several journalistic investigations and administrative reports have highlighted a link between these activities and the spread of PFAS in the surrounding environment. Le Monde recalls that certain discharges were estimated at several tons per year in the early 2000s.
The contamination is not limited to a strictly industrial perimeter. Reporterre emphasizes that analyses have revealed the presence of PFAS in eggs, vegetables and sometimes in water intended for consumption, leading to official dietary restriction recommendations. According to RFI, health authorities have recognized chronic exposure of certain local populations, while indicating that the precise long-term effects remained difficult to quantify individually.
The industrialists accused contest their exclusive responsibility. Arkema claims to have drastically reduced its emissions for several years and to comply with regulations in force, a position recalled by several national media. Daikin Chemical, for its part, highlights the regulatory compliance of its facilities and the complexity of contamination chains, arguments that will be examined by the court.
A separate civil procedure but linked to other legal actions
This civil action comes while an independent judicial expertise is already underway, following a summons filed by the Lyon Metropolis in 2024. According to La Tribune, a summary judge ordered this expertise to precisely determine the origin of the pollution and the share of responsibility of each industrial actor. The conclusions of this expertise are expected during 2026 and could play a decisive role in the outcome of the civil trial.
In parallel, criminal complaints have also been filed for endangering the lives of others and environmental damage, as Le Monde recalls. However, the procedure initiated by the residents falls exclusively under civil law, with a clear objective: to obtain financial compensation for damages already suffered.