The evidence of toxic wastes dumping in Campania, Italy

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.critrevonc.2016.05.007Get rights and content

Abstract

The region of Campania (particularly Naples and Caserta) were subjected to extensive illegal dumping operations of toxic and radioactive wastes since the 1980s. The highly toxic wastes (HTW) dumping operations that have taken place both along the coast and the hinterland, have extremely adverse effects on health, livelihoods and the future prospect of sustainable development of the local population. The toxic wastes dumping in Campania is real and it has compromised (irreversibly) the human health, natural environment, food security and the long-term development prospects of the affected population. To reverse this tragic trend, it is necessery the identification, isolation and reclamation of the polluted sites and full assessment of the nature and the scale of the polluting chemicals and other hazardous wastes. The purpose of this review is to contribute significantly to the available evidence of the long-running toxic waste dumping in Campania and its negative impact on the health of population.

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.

References (70)

  • M. Vrijheid et al.

    Chromosomal congenital anomalies and residence near hazardous waste landfill sites

    Lancet

    (2002)
  • J. Zheng et al.

    Heavy metals in food, house dust, and water from an e-waste recycling area in South China and the potential risk to human health

    Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf.

    (2013)
  • AA.VV. “Trattamento dei rifiuti in Campania: impatto sulla salute umana” Rapporto OMS-ISS-CNR-Legambiente,...
  • P. Altavista et al.

    Cause of specific mortality in a district of Campania Region with high number of waste dump sites

    Epidemiol. Prev.

    (2004)
  • Annunziata, A., Esposito, M.R., 2015....
  • ARPAC Annuario dei Dati Ambientali in Campania

    (2006)
  • M. Barba et al.

    Wasting lives: the effects of toxic waste exposure on health. The case of Campania, Southern Italy

    Cancer Biol. Ther.

    (2011)
  • Belli, S., Binazzi, A., Comba, P., Mastrantonio, M., Uccelli, R., 2004. Analisi della mortalità causa specifica in...
  • M. Berry et al.

    Birthweight reduction association with residence near a hazardous wastelandfill

    Environ. Health Perspect.

    (1997)
  • P. Bertazzi et al.

    Health effects of dioxin exposure: a 20-year mortality study

    Am. J. Epidemiol.

    (2001)
  • L.S. Birnbaum et al.

    Brominated flame retardants: cause for concern?

    Environ. Health Perspect.

    (2004)
  • K.M. Bodner et al.

    Cancer risk for chemical workers exposed to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin

    Occup. Environ. Med.

    (2003)
  • P. Comba et al.

    Risk of soft tissue sarcomas and residence in the neighbourhood of an incinerator of industrial wastes

    Occup. Environ. Med.

    (2003)
  • P. Comba et al.

    Cancer mortality in an area of Campania (Italy) characterized by multiple toxic dumping sites

    Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci.

    (2006)
  • G. D’Alisa et al.

    Political ecology: rethink Campania’s toxic waste scandal

    Nature

    (2014)
  • De Felip, E., Di Domenico, A., Studio epidemiologico sullo stato di salute e sui livelli d’accumulo di contaminanti...
  • De Nardo, P., 2004. Esposizione a rifiuti e rischio sanitario: il contributo di studi di popolazioni animali. In:...
  • H. Dolk et al.

    The impact of environmental pollution on congenital anomalies

    Br. Med. Bull.

    (2003)
  • Editorial

    A toxic legacy illegal dumping of toxic waste in the Italian Campania has been blamed for high rates of ill health in the region. The suspected link needs to be investigated using the most modern methods

    Nature

    (2014)
  • P. Elliott et al.

    Risk of adverse outcomesin populations living near landfill sites

    BMJ

    (2001)
  • P. Elliott et al.

    Geographic density of landfill sites and risk of congenital anomalies in England

    Occup. Environ. Med.

    (2009)
  • Environmental Assessment of Ogoniland. United Nations Environment Programme [UNEP], 2011:...
  • L. Fazzo et al.

    Cluster analysis of mortality and malformations in the Provinces of Naples and Caserta (Campania Region)

    Ann. Ist. Super. Sanita

    (2008)
  • M. Franchini et al.

    Health effects of exposure to waste incinerator emissions: a review of epidemiological studies

    Ann. Ist. Super. Sanita

    (2016)
  • H.M. Fielder et al.

    Report on the Health of Residents Living near the Nant-Y-Gwyddon Landfill Site Using Routinely Available Data

    (1997)
  • Cited by (0)

    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.

    View full text