Terra dei Fuochi, study finds arsenic and mercury in plants

A study undertaken by a research group from the University of Naples ‘Federico II’ in conjunction with the Sbarro Health Research Organization (SHRO) of ‘Temple University’ in Philadelphia, and subsequently published in Science of the Total Environment, has revealed elevated levels of arsenic, mercury, lead, and other potentially hazardous elements within the Land of Fires (Italian: Terra dei Fuochi) region in Campania. The researchers deployed moss bags, which are containers holding moss samples capable of absorbing atmospheric pollutants, at six locations within two sample areas in Campania. These areas consisted of an industrial site in Giugliano and a rural area in Carditello, which was previously regarded as pristine. The study results indicate that noxious emissions from waste fires pervade the surrounding environment. Specifically, the analyzed plant samples exhibited the presence of arsenic (2.2 mg per kg of plant tissue), copper (17 mg/kg), and mercury (0.06 mg/kg). The study’s authors caution against the potential health hazards for the local populace, emphasizing the critical necessity for remediation efforts to purify the contaminated areas and forestall future spills and unlawful fires. These findings emerge in the aftermath of a recent ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) that condemned Italy for its inadequate management of the Land of Fires, thereby acknowledging an ‘imminent’ threat to people’s lives.