Thick smoke rose into the Paris skies on Monday April 7, 2025. Internet users were quick to share the images, and questions were rife. The fire had broken out in a waste sorting center in the 17th arrondissement, northwest of Paris. It was an impressive incident, but there were no casualties. However, the dark smoke observed by the inhabitants of Paris raised concerns aboutits toxicity and the health risks for people living near the site.
AirParif, in charge of monitoring air quality, immediately reassures us: "The air quality expected today will be average to degraded over the Ile-de-France region due to the presence of ozone (a secondary pollutant) unrelated to the fire that broke out last night in the sorting center located in the 17th arrondissement of Paris. Airparif is paying particular attention to the concentrations recorded and to the evolution of air quality in relation to this fire. Analysis of fine particle concentrations measured at stations downwind of the plume did not reveal any atypical levels, especially as meteorological conditions were rather dispersive. In the vicinity of the fire, measurements were taken by the authorities."
