Development of a municipality index of environmental pressure in Campania, Italy

• Published in: Future science OA 2021-08, Vol.7 (7), p.FSO720-FSO720
• Main Authors: Pizzolante, Antonio, Nicodemo, Federico, Pierri, Andrea, Ferro, Amedeo, Pierri, Biancamaria, Buonerba, Carlo, Beccaloni, Eleonora, Albanese, Stefano, Basso, Bruno, Cerino, Pellegrino
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: biomonitoring; environmental monitoring; Land of Fires; SPES trial
• ISSN: 2056-5623; 2056-5623
• DOI: 10.2144/fsoa-2021-0055

The Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy (Istitituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, IZSM) is a public health institution operating within the Italian National Health Service. Over the past 5 years [IZSM] has promoted several research studies and interventions in an effort to tackle the ‘Land of Fires’ phenomenon, caused by the continued trafficking and uncontrolled incineration of waste that has affected some areas of Campania for decades. In this article, a mathematical model that generates a municipality index of environmental pressure is presented. The model was developed by a multidisciplinary team led by an environmental engineer and included researchers in the fields of veterinary and human medicine, biology and computer science. This model may serve as a geostratification tool useful for the design of human biomonitoring studies, although it may also be employed for strategic planning of remediation programs and public health interventions. The complex environmental scenario of the ‘Land of Fires’ phenomenon is caused by the continued trafficking and uncontrolled incineration of waste, and has affected some areas of Campania in Italy for decades. In this article a mathematical model that generates a municipality index of environmental pressure is presented. This index may be used for the design of biomonitoring studies as well as for planning of remediation interventions.