MANY MINDEDTunisian fertilizer plant tied to illness in nearby homes
A state-owned phosphate processing plant in Gabès, Tunisia, operated by Groupe Chimique Tunisien, emits toxic fumes that residents link to respiratory problems and illness. An analysis by Mongabay and ARIJ of Sentinel-5 satellite imagery found air pollutant concentrations possibly reaching up to nine times WHO recommended limits. In September 2025, schoolchildren in Gabès collapsed with breathing difficulties during a gas release, an incident that helped spark mass protests demanding the plant be moved.
The scale of exposure is significant. Neighborhoods including Shat al-Salam — home to more than 16,000 people per 2014 statistics — sit within the 2 km buffer zone recommended by the ILO and WHO, and the government's own guidance advises no one live within 5 km. A 2017 pledge to relocate the operation has not been honored. Phosphate exports are worth hundreds of millions of dollars a year, about 4% of Tunisia's GDP, with customers including India, the EU, and US firms such as EuroChem North America and Koch Fertilizer.
The abundance cost here runs backward through the food chain. Cheap, plentiful fertilizer underpins the global food supply, but part of that price is paid by people breathing the emissions of its production. The gains are exported; the harm stays local.
Caveats are important: the pollution figures are satellite-derived estimates, not confirmed ground measurements. Health authorities declined to share data, doctors feared speaking publicly, and the companies named did not respond to requests for comment.
Source: Mongabay