‘You’re poisoning my child’: How Mamme No PFAS helped expose Italy’s PFAS pollution scandal

In June 2025, 11 erstwhile executives of nan chemic institution Miteni were sentenced to a full of 141 years successful situation by a criminal tribunal successful Vicenza, successful northeastern Italy. 

These erstwhile managers were accused of aggregate crimes, including deliberate poisoning of water, biology disaster, forbidden discarded guidance and fraudulent bankruptcy. 

Miteni, now insolvent, first came nether scrutiny successful 2013 erstwhile a study revealed toxic chemic contamination successful aquifers and drinking h2o serving astir 300,000 group successful nan Padua, Verona and Vicenza area. 

The main pollutants were per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), man-made chemicals besides known arsenic “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down successful nan situation aliases nan quality body. 

Widely utilized successful items specified arsenic pizza boxes, non-stick cookware, and outdoor clothing for their guidance to water, grease, and fire, PFAS person been linked to superior wellness risks, including immune strategy issues, reproductive problems, and thyroid dysfunction. Perfluorooctanoic acerb (PFOA), 1 of nan PFAS produced by Miteni, has moreover been classified arsenic carcinogenic by nan World Health Organization and banned successful nan European Union (EU).  

The proceedings began successful 2021: connected 1 broadside of nan courtroom stood Miteni, connected nan other, astir 300 civilian parties. Among them was a group of women who ever showed up, moreover connected nan time of nan verdict, wearing achromatic T-shirts printed pinch a achromatic sanction and a reddish number.

They are Mamme No PFAS (Mums No PFAS), a group of mothers protesting PFAS contamination successful Italy. They are among nan astir influential activists successful Europe’s conflict against these ‘forever chemicals’. 

The sanction connected their t-shirts is that of 1 of their sons aliases daughters, and nan number represents nan attraction of PFOA successful their blood, followed by nan sentence: “You’re poisoning my child”. 

The pivotal domiciled of Mamme No PFAS

Giovanna Dal Lago, a personnel of Mamme No PFAS, lives successful nan countryside adjacent Vicenza. Her life and that of her family were turned upside down successful 2017 erstwhile humor tests revealed dangerously precocious concentrations of PFOA successful their children.

There is nary universally agreed ‘safe’ PFAS concentration, but a 2022 report by nan United States (US) National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine suggested that mixed concentrations of 7 PFAS (including PFOA) beneath 2 ng/mL are improbable to origin harm.

As shown successful nan numbers printed connected nan group’s t-shirts, however, their children’s PFOA levels unsocial sometimes transcend 300 ng/mL.

“We were really worried,” Dal Lago tells Euronews Green. “We mothers started talking and sharing our concerns successful nan places wherever we utilized to meet: astatine nan paediatrician’s office, aft catechism, successful nan schoolhouse garden.” 

Between nan find of contamination successful 2013 and nan humor trial results successful 2017, location governmental and biology authorities monitored PFAS levels successful h2o and instructed h2o work managers to return remediation actions to incorporate nan pollution. 

Yet some officials and residents struggled to grasp nan standard of nan threat to nationalist wellness from PFAS. 

“In 2013, news came retired astir polluted water, but it was besides followed by reassuring messages from our mayors and doctors ... erstwhile we sewage nan trial results, we were nary longer calm,”  Dal Lago explains. 

Fearing for their children, Giovanna Dal Lago and different mothers affected by nan contamination changed their habits, moreover avoiding pat h2o for brushing teeth. They began researching PFAS and pressuring authorities.

“It was for illustration realising what biology contamination really is, that what you merchandise into nan situation yet ends up successful your ain body, successful your blood. And that was shocking,” Giovanna Dal Lago tells Euronews Green. 

In summation to protests and engagement pinch authorities and journalists, Mamme No PFAS besides played a pivotal domiciled successful nan Miteni trial. 

As nan group is not a general association, its members participated successful much than 130 hearings arsenic individual civilian parties, ever wearing their unique T-shirts. 

Despite nan financial and individual cost, Dal Lago said that nan verdict felt “almost for illustration a miracle”. 

The tribunal recovered that Miteni’s managers were alert of PFAS contamination and had continued polluting regardless. 

The ruling was moreover harsher than what nan prosecutors had requested: they had sought 121 years of situation time, but nan judges imposed 141. 

On apical of nan sentence, nan tribunal besides ordered compensation for nan 300 civilian parties progressive successful nan trial. 

“I cried because thing unexpected had happened, but I besides cried retired of pain, thinking: ‘Look astatine what happened, really superior this is!’,” nan activistic explains. 

A historical verdict?

The enthusiasm of Mamme No PFAS was shared by different groups progressive successful nan trial. 

Chiara Campione, executive head of Greenpeace Italy and Stefano Ciafani, president of nan Italian biology organisation Legambiente, some described nan ruling arsenic “historic”, a word later echoed wide successful nan media. 

Hélène Duguy, biology lawyer for Client Earth, agrees, noting that PFAS are a comparatively caller ineligible issue, and proving a causal nexus betwixt contamination and harm is difficult. 

“Here, nan tribunal seems to person acknowledged nan awesome effect that nan decisions of those group [ex Miteni’s managers] person had connected nan Veneto community. In that sense, it’s historic,” Duguy tells Euronews Green. 

The lawyer besides points retired that nan Miteni proceedings was among nan first PFAS cases to scope criminal tribunal and consequence successful a last judgment. While location person been PFAS-related litigations and settlements successful nan US, they were mostly civilian cases betwixt organisations aliases individuals, and nary resulted successful jailhouse time, Duguy states. 

The lawyer underlines that nan June 2025 Italian verdict was only a first-instance judgement and apt to beryllium appealed, but Duguy believes “this lawsuit will person an power connected what's going to hap successful nan courtrooms of different countries”.  

What astir nan different European PFAS cases?

A fewer kilometres northbound of Italy lies different European PFAS hotspot: Zwijndrecht, a Belgian municipality contaminated by PFAS from a 3M chemic plant. 

Here, Jeroen Van Reeth, a resident of nan highly contaminated “red zone” adjacent nan plant, is waiting for his plot to beryllium dug up arsenic portion of a colony betwixt 3M and nan Flemish government. 

No criminal proceedings has yet convicted 3M managers successful Belgium, but Van Reeth hopes nan Italian ruling will make a difference. “It’s a bully illustration of really it [PFAS contamination] tin beryllium addressed,” he tells Euronews Green. “They nonstop retired a connection that this is not possible.” 

As an activistic pinch nan corporate Zwijndrecht Gezond, Van Reeth is besides realistic. He knows nan judgement tin beryllium appealed and that this is only nan first measurement successful a agelong battle.

A conflict successful which Mamme No PFAS stay astatine nan forefront. “Now we expect nan cleanup,” Dal Lago tells Euronews Green. 

What’s adjacent for Mamme No PFAS?

Remediation efforts to incorporate PFAS contamination successful nan Italian waters were initiated soon aft nan scandal, but nan ungraded remains contaminated. 

The companies responsible for nan PFAS contamination are expected to coming a remediation scheme earlier nan extremity of 2025, truthful nan process is still rather slow. 

Cleaning nan ungraded is besides very costly, since existent exertion struggles to break down PFAS's unbreakable molecules. According to a 2025 investigative project, removing PFAS from Europe could costs €2 trillion complete 20 years.

“You pollute, and you repair; otherwise, there’s nary justice,” Dal Lago tells Euronews Green. “We don’t attraction if these group [Miteni ex managers] spell to jail, but we want them to shovel nan crushed pinch us.” 

Mamme No PFAS, together pinch nan different biology organisations progressive successful nan trial, is besides asking for a European rule to wholly prohibition PFAS production. 

Discussions are ongoing successful Brussels, and each eyes are connected December 2025, erstwhile nan European Commission is expected to coming a general connection to betterment its chemic regulation. 

To study much astir PFAS, life successful a PFAS hotspot, and remediation techniques, tune successful to section 53 of Euronews Tech Talks connected Wednesday, 17 September.