Everyday Responses to an (In)visible Environmental Disaster: Experiencing PFAS contamination in the Veneto region

Abstract

This article aims to explore the everyday responses to the PFAS contamination in the Veneto region. PFAS are chemical compounds known for their water-repellent and heat-resistant properties, widely used in common consumer products. These same qualities also make them bioaccumulative, both in the environment and in human bodies, increasing the risk of various health conditions. In 2013, a high concentration of these substances was detected in the water of the lower and western areas of the province of Vicenza, the southern part of Padua, and the eastern part of Verona, including tap water consumed by thousands of people. The contamination was traced back to discharges from the Miteni factory in the province of Vicenza. This is a case of an invisible environmental disaster that has profoundly impacted the territory and its inhabitants. The goal of this research is to identify the concrete and perceptual changes experienced by those living through this contamination, interpreting these new practices as a form of “making visible” the invisible disaster. To challenge this invisibility, the research incorporated a visual tool par excellence: photography. Through photo-elicitation interviews, and drawing inspiration from photo-voice methodology, the consequences of contamination were reconstructed in collaboration with the affected population. From the interviews, images, and field observations, three central themes emerged: the transformation of territorial perception through the contamination of primary goods; activism as an everyday practice; and the diverse ways the disaster is perceived, depending on gender and age.