Saint-Nazaire: a 39% excess male mortality rate continues to be a cause for concern despite the lack of an established link to industry

Seven years after the first warnings about the health of the population of Saint-Nazaire, questions remain. According to the latest data presented by the authorities, men under 65 living in the Saint-Nazaire metropolitan area continue to show a 39% excess mortality rate compared to the national average. Among women, this excess mortality still reaches 13%. These worrying figures have fueled the debate for several years about the potential impact of the vast industrial basin located around the Loire estuary.

Gathered around the conclusions of Public Health France, the Loire-Atlantique prefecture nevertheless believes that it is currently "not possible" to establish a direct link between local industrial activity and the deteriorating health situation observed in the region. The authorities also consider that a new epidemiological study would not provide any further answers, deeming this approach "irrelevant" given the currently available knowledge.

A heavily industrialized territory under surveillance

The Saint-Nazaire conurbation constitutes one of the main industrial hubs of the French Atlantic coast. The territory notably hosts port, aeronautical, naval, energy and petrochemical activities, as well as approximately 140 classified installations for environmental protection (ICPE), subject to specific monitoring due to the potential risks they may represent to health or the environment.

To better understand the source of health concerns, a large-scale area study was launched in 2021. Its objective is to identify pollutants present in the environment and measure their potential impact on residents. According to initial results, the concentrations observed for the majority of monitored substances remain within current regulatory limits.

Areas of concern remain

The investigations nevertheless revealed several elements requiring increased monitoring. Occasional exceedances of certain fine particles were noted, while in Brais, a district of Saint-Nazaire, cobalt emissions exceeding reference values ​​led the authorities to maintain heightened vigilance.

Further analyses are also to be carried out in Montoir-de-Bretagne and the Méan-Penhouët district. Traces of arsenic and lead pollution have been identified there. However, state services and the Regional Directorate for the Environment, Planning and Housing (DREAL) emphasize that this contamination could be linked to past industrial activities rather than to currently operating facilities.

The associations dispute the conclusions

These explanations have not convinced all local stakeholders. Several environmental and citizen groups are denouncing the methodological limitations of the ongoing study. They believe that the number of measurement points remains insufficient and that the duration of the data collection does not accurately reflect the actual exposure of the population to the various pollutants present in the area.

For representatives of associations, the preliminary conclusions appear premature given the many unanswered questions that remain. They are calling for further investigations and a broader consideration of environmental factors that could explain the specific health situation observed in the Saint-Nazaire area.

A public health issue that remains open

While authorities maintain that analyses conducted so far have not demonstrated a link between industrial pollution and excess mortality, the figures continue to raise questions. The persistent excess mortality among men and the overrepresentation of certain cancers are fueling concerns among residents and local elected officials.

The area study is expected to continue until the end of 2026. Its final conclusions will be particularly awaited by both public authorities and associations, in the hope of finally providing answers to a question that has preoccupied the territory for almost a decade.