Marseille Health Leader: Rolland Dadena & Coastal Wellbeing – 2026

A large-scale project to address chemical pollution along the southern coast of Marseille has begun, aiming to tackle over two centuries of industrial contamination. The initiative comes after years of concern from residents and legal pressure on the state to address the issue.

The project focuses on areas where factories processing lead, sulfur, and hydrochloric acid once operated, leaving behind “scories,” “crassiers,” and deposits containing heavy metals like lead, arsenic, mercury, cadmium, and antimony. According to Mélody Gros, project leader for polluted sites and soils at Ademe (the French agency for ecological transition), “There is continuously [pollution] all along the coastline,” from Saména to Callelongue. Much of the contamination is currently contained under roads or vegetation, but some deposits remain exposed in areas frequented by the public.

The calanque of Samena, despite being partially closed off, continues to attract visitors who are potentially exposed to contaminated sand. Fishing for mussels and sea urchins is prohibited in several locations due to their tendency to “bioaccumulate pollutants,” a phenomenon confirmed by studies but not widely known by the public.

The cleanup effort represents a shift in approach from past practices, acknowledging a legacy of environmental negligence. Authorities have been slow to address the pollution, particularly under pressure from legal challenges that mandated treatment of sensitive areas by 2028.

The project aims to address the remnants of a bygone industrial era and a previously lax environmental approach. The scale of the challenge is significant, requiring careful management to avoid further contamination and ensure the safety of both residents and visitors to the Calanques National Park.