Gela and risks to health ... - The Espresso

Into After the investigation Espresso, an epidemiologist at the National Research Council takes stock of the data regarding the impact of the petrochemical industry on the health of citizens. He writes: “much remains to be done, particularly on understanding the true levels of population exposure to pollutants”

Article Emiliano Fittipaldi (” L’Espresso “n. 22) and its replica online reactions recorded, contain a brief statement that I want to expand my providing some more elements and some personal reflection.

state that attending for fifteen years Gela for commitment in studies and research, I have not escaped the progress made in overcoming the burden that the productive vocation gave the city, but it is not my responsibility I will not go on. By instead on the state of health that I seem to have received little attention in the recent debate.

The data cited by Fittipaldi relating to deaths and hospital admissions residents in the Gela-Niscemi-Butera, ( source: Epidemiological Observatory Sicily Region, 2004-2011 and 2007-2011), are undoubtedly higher than those observed in a large area surrounding, specifically defined as the reference area.

The excesses are observed for the complex of causes of death and disease and for many specific causes, both noncancerous tumor, both among men than among women. The profile is not much different from that previously reported by the Epidemiological reports of the Observatory for the years 1995-2000 and 2001-2003. Even mortality data from the national study analyzed 1995-2002 PATHS on 44 sites, including Gela, had identified a similar situation, with strong excesses in both sexes for all-cause mortality for all cancers, lung cancer and for circulatory diseases.

The correct interpretation of epidemiological data on the increase in both males and females for cancer and non-cancer causes for which the evidence of associations with pollution shall be deemed sufficient, leads to an no secondary liability of environmental pollution.

Some signal attenuation by observing the mortality in the last period needs to be confirmed in the coming years, and the monitoring system set up by ‘ Epidemiological Observatory of the Region of Sicily will not fail to do so. The numerous excesses of hospitalization that continue to characterize the inhabitants of Gela should be interpreted with caution because the availability of a large hospital complex and the perception of risk typical of someone who is aware of living in a polluted area may lead to a greater use of the shelter. This hypothesis should, however, be verified with an in-depth ad hoc.

Already in the volume dedicated to the environment and health in Gela, published in 2009 in the journal Epidemiology and Prevention (distributed to directors and local and regional ) was referred to the need to “create in-depth investigations on the absorption of individual pollutants to allow a reconstruction of the exposure profile of individual and commu nity groups, which are essential for the conduct of studies aimed at the identification of effects associated with pollutants documented presence and a danger to health.

Also reported was the need to build a system for monitoring environment-health is essential to give people easy and understandable information in a short time. For his part, the study confirmed that national PATHS “from the evidence accumulated so far and as far as the public health aspects, are urgent three activities: – identification of sources of environmental exposure and routes of exposure of the population to date, persistent and, in particular, defining the contribution of emissions into air the petrochemical industry;

– based on what occurred in the previous point, the development of appropriate strategies to reduce exposure;

– implementation of a specific program of epidemiological surveillance through flows of current data. “

On these objectives some relevant passages have been moved by the Region of Sicily, through the Epidemiological Observatory, has operated a regional surveillance on congenital malformations and a cancer registry, both nearing completion and accreditation.