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Asbestos continues to cause casualties among workers exposed during their work activity, but also among the population living in the vicinity of industrial plants. This is what is revealed by the new edition of the report by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS).
The ISS report analyses the data from 18 of the 44 “sites of national interest for sanitation” (SIN). These sites have been identified by the authorities due to the high level of pollution of their soil and subsoil, surface water and ground water. This pollution constitutes a serious health risk for the population.
Since the publication of its previous report in 2011, the ISS has recorded an increase in mortality and the number of cancers. The number of mesotheliomas and malignant tumours of the pleura has increased in the Sicilian sites (SIN) of Biancavilla (Catania) and Priolo (Syracuse), but also in port sites (Trieste, Tarante, Venice) and industrial sites with significant chemicals industries (Grado and Marano Lagoons, Priolo, Venice) and iron and steel sites (Tarante, Terni, Trieste).
Faced with these figures, it is therefore urgent to implement targeted actions, according to Loredana Musmeci, director of the Environment and Risk Prevention Department of the ISS, to prevent risks for the health of the population.
To see more
Work-related cancers: What recognition in Europe? (In English)
Asbestos-related occupational diseases in Europe. Recognition, statistics, specific systems (In English)
