Clermont-Ferrand, 26 June 2025 – The Université Clermont Auvergne (UCA), in collaboration with the Departmental Fire and Rescue Service of Hérault (SDIS 34), hosted an international technical workshop as part of the European project ALERT-PFAS, co-funded by the Interreg SUDOE programme.
The event brought together participants from the academic, industrial and public sectors, as well as project partners from France, Spain and Portugal, to exchange knowledge on the presence and environmental risks of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), particularly in the context of wildfires.
Under the theme “Understanding and acting on emerging contaminants,” the workshop presented key aspects of the ALERT-PFAS project, including an overview of the current state of knowledge and PFAS detection in the SUDOE region.
A highlight of the event was the presentation by SDIS 34, focusing on safety procedures in emergency contexts, including the use of PFAS-containing firefighting foams and specific forest fire response protocols.
Each session concluded with a Q&A segment, encouraging technical dialogue and interactive exchanges among participants and speakers.
This event is part of a series of local workshops organised under ALERT-PFAS, aimed at raising awareness, building capacity, and transferring technical knowledge to relevant regional stakeholders.
