Abstract
Background:Environmental health education contributes towards increasing awareness of communities to prevent exposure to hazardous substances. Casale Monferrato, the operating site for the Eternit asbestos-cement factory from 1907 to 1986, is a prioritized asbestos-contaminated site for remediation in Italy. The area is prone to severe asbestos-related diseases. About 50 cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in Casale Monferrato annually; mesothelioma has been shown to be caused by occupational, environmental and domestic asbestos exposure.Objectives:The goal of this paper is to analyze the Casale Monferrato case study in terms of youth engagement in environmental health education initiatives on asbestos risk and health impact. The paper aims at underlining the lessons learned in order to share the success of this initiative with other communities living in asbestos-contaminated sites in different countries.Methods:Peer education methodology has been used through the Asbestos Classroom to involve teachers, students and other local stakeholders in training activities, in selection of the contents for educational materials and interactive tools, as well as in choosing the presentation process for the aforementioned knowledge sharing instruments.Findings:From November 2014 to June 2018, 185 high school students and teachers were trained through the Asbestos Classroom. Through December 2018, they trained 3,241 classroom visitors. The Classroom relies on an inclusive participative process in which young people play a key role in the network of relationships within their community.Conclusions:The paper corroborates the importance of engaging the educational system in communication efforts aimed at fostering collective awareness on environmental risk and health-related impacts for communities living in industrially contaminated sites. Considering the global dimension of the asbestos contamination and disease burden, this experience might be of relevance both in countries that banned asbestos and in those where asbestos is not yet prohibited.
Highlights
Environmental health education contributes towards increasing awareness of communities to prevent exposure to hazardous substances
The present paper describes the experience of the Asbestos Classroom in Casale Monferrato, highlighting the role of environmental health education in a community living in a severely contaminated site and highlighting the peer education methodology, aimed at engaging students to contribute to increased community resilience
Art. 84, page 3 of 7 risk, students and young people are the protagonists of the Asbestos Classroom, and their active participation is essential for the project: first, the students receive specific training through lessons; they are able to meet visitors and become trainers by adopting the peer education methodology
Summary
Environmental health education contributes towards increasing awareness of communities to prevent exposure to hazardous substances. From an environmental and public health perspective, definitions and scopes of environmental health literacy are continuously evolving, relying on potential contributions for preventing environmentally induced diseases and for empowering individuals and communities to better understand the environmental risks and health-related impacts. This is an essential element for health promotion [3, 4], as well as to foster informed participation in decision-making processes. Experiences involving the youth in environmental health education and risk communication in communities living in contaminated sites are not yet systematically addressed by the scientific literature [10], despite polluted areas and the adverse health effects affecting populations living in contaminated areas being environmental and
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