The evidence of toxic wastes dumping in Campania, Italy
Introduction
Hazardous waste sites have emerged as a major environmental health concern in many countries. There are a number of different options available for the management and treatment of waste including minimisation, recycling, composting, energy recovery and disposal. At present, an increasing amount of the resources contained in waste is recycled, but a large portion is incinerated or permanently lost in landfills. The various methods of waste management release a number of substances, most in small quantities and at extremely low levels. However, concerns remain about potential health effects associated with the main waste management technologies and there are many uncertainties involved in the assessment of health effects. Several studies reported the possible health effects on populations living in proximity of landfills and incinerators (Saunders, 2007, Franchini et al., 2004, Rushton, 2003), that have been associated with some reproductive and cancer outcomes. Much of the health literature on the toxicity of the individual substances highlighted above relates to occupational or accidental exposure and thus generally to higher levels of exposure than those expected from waste disposal methods. Many of the substances, such as cadmium, arsenic, chromium, nickel, dioxins and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are considered to be carcinogenic, based on animal studies or studies of people exposed to high levels. In addition to carcinogenicity, many of these substances can produce other toxic effects (depending on exposure level and duration) on the central nervous system, liver, kidneys, heart, lungs, skin, reproduction, etc. However, additional contaminants pose risks to humans and biota (Nolan et al., 2009, Richardson, 2009, Birnbaum and Staskal, 2004). Recent monitoring of municipal wastewater effluent, urban surface waters, and biota has documented the occurrence of groups of unrecognized contaminants called contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) (Schultz et al., 2006, Mitch et al., 2003, Kolpin et al., 2002). For other pollutants such as SO2 and PM10, air pollution studies have indicated that there may be effects on morbidity and mortality at background levels of exposure, particularly in susceptible groups such as the elderly. Chemicals such as dioxins and organochlorines may be lipophilic and accumulate in fat-rich tissues and have been associated with reproductive or endocrine-disrupting endpoints. Environmental factors contribute to the global burden of disease and, in particular, they contribute to the growing incidence of non-transmissible diseases, like cancer, in the different countries. Recent data demonstrate that more than half of cancer cases and 60% of deaths occur in developing countries (IARC World Cancer Report, 2014) Adverse health effects due to waste management practices, in particular of hazardous waste, potentially represent a public health issue in many less developed regions and developing countries, because of growing waste production, inadequate waste management practices, lack of appropriate legislation and control systems, as well as of growing illegal hazardous waste transboundary movements driven by the most industrialized countries. Campania (a region of south Italy) has been used extensively by italian and foreign companies as a dumping ground to dispose large quantities of highly toxic waste from the industrialized countries. Recent studies have reported a significant increase of cancer mortality as well as an increased rates of congenital malformation in the Campania but particulary in Provinces of Naples and Caserta. In such areas illegal dumping of toxic wastes has been largely documented (ARPAC Annuario dei Dati Ambientali in Campania, 2006). Despite the gravity of its negative impact, the problem of the illegal toxic wastes dumping in Campania has been ignored until now even if has been largely documented (D’Alisa et al., 2014, Editorial, 2014, Senior and Mazza, 2004). The purpose of this rewiev is to present the findings of the different studies concerning the distribution of cancer mortality and birth defects in the Provinces of Naples and Caserta, the part of Campania most severely affected by illegal waste dumping sites.
Section snippets
The relationship between the illegal dumping waste and the increased cancer mortality
Different studies have linked low birth weight (less than 2500 kg), the occurrence of birth defects, and miscarriages in women who lived in close proximity to the landfill, in fact researchers Vianna and Polan (1984) and Goldman et al. (1985) have carried out a study in the population of the Love Canal, in the years 1940–1953 and later in the years 1965–1978 related to the birth of underweight children and the parents' home in proximity to landfill. Subsequent studies have affirmed a
Discussion
The illegal dumping of hazardous waste materials, as a bi-product of industrialisation, has great implication for the human health. Different study designs have been adopted in epidemiological studies of waste disposal sites. Ecological and geographical studies have reported increases in lung cancer risk in men and in women, bladder cancer in both sexes and in men only leukemia, childhood leukemia, liver cancer in men, prostate cancer, gastric cancer in both sexes and in men only, uterine
Conflict of interests
The authors declare no potential conflict of interests. No financial support was provided for this research.
Acknowledgement
We are grateful to Lucio Righetti for his photo that allowed us to publish.
Gabriella Marfe is a researcher at Scienze e Tecnologie Ambientali, Biologiche e Farmaceutiche, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy. Her basic research focuses on cancer resistance and with a special emphasis on colon and leukemia cancer stem cells.
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Gabriella Marfe is a researcher at Scienze e Tecnologie Ambientali, Biologiche e Farmaceutiche, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy. Her basic research focuses on cancer resistance and with a special emphasis on colon and leukemia cancer stem cells.
Carla Di Stefano is a researcher at of Hematology, “Tor Vergata” University, Rome Italy. Her basic research focuses on leukemia cancer stem cells.