San Zeno, Civitella, Quarata: in-line the parameters of the health ... - The Nation

Into Arezzo, July 19, 2013 – Living in the vicinity of Chimet hurts? And reside in Quarata, area of ??the quarries, or in Arezzo, maybe near San Zeno where there is the incinerator and many other factories, is harmful to health? Basically these are the questions that had to answer seven different studies that are now come to an end, and that may be at last, after almost two years of work, compared and cross each other.

Into A clear answer is difficult, and it becomes mandatory to go see the individual items and the possible effects of the presence of pollutants in the environment typical of certain industrial products. But if the questions must be answered with a summary can give you a rough idea, we can say that living in these areas is not at the same level of Casentino (area free from pollution sources), but at the same time the citizens of Civitella, Quarata, Arezzo and San Zeno have a health profile broadly in line with that of the entire region of Tuscany. The seriousness of studies that take into account the different sources, still needs further investigation and careful monitoring over time.

Into The work performed, presented this morning to the institutions (Province of Arezzo, Asl8, Civitella, Arezzo Municipality, the Municipality of Monte San Savino) was validated with a positive judgment by the Superior Institute of Health. A bevy of experts representing different subjects between them have performed and processed the data collected, thanks to the direct collaboration of citizens, general practitioners and companies. A detailed work of great substance and executed by the Department of Prevention of Asl8 of Arezzo, by the Regional Health ISPO (Institute for C ancer Prevention Study), the Public Health Laboratory of the ASL 7 of Siena, Institute Zooprofilattico, and the Department of Environmental Sciences of the University of Siena. In the coming days, all the cards of the seven sub-projects, as well as the summary document with its tables, will be published in the website of the Province and those of other public entities. In view of the holiday period, it is therefore expected to organize in September, public meetings, both institutional and with the populations concerned.

Into It ‘was reminded that the study was made out to be of concern due to possible environmental pollution originated by the activities of Chimet and reporting a spike of leukemia in the early 2000s.

Into The aim of the study was to assess the exposure to heavy metals, which are characteristic of the goldsmith and waste incineration, residents of three villages near Civitella closer to the system and the distribution of leukemia and other neoplastic diseases in same territory, may be attributable to the model of relapse circulation of pollutants.

At

population surveys has been joined to a study of exposure of workers in the sector alumina refining metals related to 7 companies.

Into area of ??Civitella, which was available for a circulation model of the firm Chimet and other local emissive sources were evaluated in a comparative results of biomonitoring (exposure / effect and accumulation) of heavy metals on plants and animals with the results of human biological monitoring.

Into It ‘was observed a “positive correlation” between the levels of silver and mercury accumulated in organisms and the distance from the industrial complex Chimet, for human biomonitoring exposure to these same metals is significant, but not correlated with the values of diffusion of pollutants, reconstructed with the available maps circulation.

Into be observed that significant levels of exposure to mercury and silver were also highlighted in the resident population in the urban area of ??Arezzo.

Cadmium, considered metal tracer for the jewelery industry, for the human biological monitoring showed higher levels in Civitella compared to the control groups, although even in this case there is compliance with the values ??of diffusion of pollutants .

Into The tests on genetic damage in animal organisms did not detect alterations in any of the sampling stations.

Into The distribution over the years in cases of leukemia and other neoplastic diseases detected potentially environment-related, show no relationship with the levels of exposure to pollutants identified from maps circulation of the main sources within the area of ??Civitella.

Into Considering the health indicators, in the municipality of Civitella mortality levels of the most recent period (2004-2009) for all cancers and for individual cancer sites are in line with those of regional reference, both in males than in females. High values, as now known for this province, register for stomach cancer. Some problems, such as leukemia mortality registered in the past years, appear in attenuation and downsizing, but they deserve an epidemiological surveillance constant. The time course of the peaks of the cases of leukemia, do not appear to correlate with the presence of production plants (a peak was already present in the period 1971/74) and with the circulation model of the pollutants.

Into A cognitive purposes in the area of ??Civitella were analyzed some samples of honey and milk products in the area, to search for heavy metals: the inquiry has revealed the presence of traces of nickel in samples of honey and the ‘absence of other contami nants into the honey and milk.

Into As regards, finally, the evaluation of workers, were not detected elevated or significant differences between the Chimet and other companies in the sector, it detects the presence of certain metals considered to be carcinogenic (arsenic, beryllium, cadmium), for which, as with other chemicals, it is necessary to continue the regular monitoring by the companies with the cooperation of competent doctors.

Into The National Institute of Health welcomes the epidemiological methodology used for the study design and data analysis. In particular, “the identification phase of the samples, information acquisition, data processing and interpretation of results – said the ISS – Are valid and not affected by systematic errors. In the study of biological monitoring urine of the population of Civitella also the random error is controlled through the acquisition of an appropriate abundance of subjects that ensures adequate statistical power. The criteria for inclusion / exclusion are consistent with the expected exposures and confounding factors are adequately considered in the questionnaire. The analytical methods have been subjected to internal quality control and external. In conclusion – you can still read the note ISS – The biomonitoring campaign was carried out with consistency and quality appropriate to the objectives. Inconclusive, however, the resu lts of the study on the hair, but the same authors delimit the power of this investigation, for the ways in which they could carry, they are also considered a pilot study and exploration, separated from the body of biomonitoring campaign. “

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