Environmental asbestos exposure and mesothelioma cases in Bari, Apulia region, southern Italy: a national interest site for land reclamation

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 25; no. 16; pp. 15692 - 15701
• Main Authors: Vimercati, Luigi, Cavone, Domenica, Lovreglio, Piero, De Maria, Luigi, Caputi, Antonio, Ferri, Giovanni Maria, Serio, Gabriella
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.06.2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aged; Antineoplastic Agents - therapeutic use; Aquatic Pollution; Asbestos; Asbestos - toxicity; Asbestos cement; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Barracks; Carcinogens; Carcinogens, Environmental - toxicity; cement; Cities; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Exposure; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Exposure; Fatal Outcome; Female; Humans; Italy; Land reclamation; land restoration; Lung Neoplasms - chemically induced; Lung Neoplasms - diagnosis; Lung Neoplasms - drug therapy; Lung Neoplasms - surgery; Male; males; Mesothelioma; Mesothelioma - chemically induced; Mesothelioma - diagnosis; Mesothelioma - drug therapy; Mesothelioma - surgery; Mesothelioma, Malignant; Middle Aged; Military housing; Neighborhoods; pollution; Pollution sources; Public health; Research Article; Residential areas; Residential military buildings; Treatment Outcome; Urban areas; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; working conditions; Italy; Cities; Apulia Italy; Mesothelioma registry; Asbestos; Contaminated town; Military barracks; Mesothelioma; Bari, Apulia. Italy; Public health; Environmental-residential-neighborhood exposure
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-1618-x

Asbestos is an environmental carcinogen, and asbestos-related diseases are a global-scale public health issue. We report three cases (one male and two females) of pleural malignant mesothelioma (PMM) caused by environmental asbestos exposure reported by the Apulia Regional Operating Centre (COR) to the National Mesothelioma Registry (ReNaM). The patients revealed no history of asbestos exposure even after detailed assessment. The environmental (neighborhood) asbestos exposure for each of the three cases was due to both the residential history of the subjects and their workplace, close to a military barracks, at a distance of between 45 and 100 m. Moreover, in addition to this new source of pollution, an asbestos cement factory was located in the urban area of Bari municipality, in the Apulia region, southern Italy. Environmental-residential/neighborhood asbestos exposure in the city of Bari, a contaminated area classified as a site of national concern for land reclamation, is discussed also with reference to the military barracks.