Sustainability of Italian seaports located near contaminated sites: results of an exploratory analysis.

Abstract

Ports are strategic areas of economic importance, but they are also very critical contexts. Many Italian ports are included in contaminated sites of concern for remediation, with the presence of pressure factors that overload the burden capacity of local ecosystems and communities. The aim of this study is to characterize Italian seaport areas through a general theoretical path on the theme of ports-sustainability-local communities, identifying the ports located in municipalities included in contaminated sites studied by the SENTIERI Project (Epidemiological Study of Residents in Italian Contaminated Sites). Many of the selected ports, are being part of complex industrial areas, where, in addition to the port area, there are other sources of environmental contamination potentially harmful to health. Excesses risk were observed for mesothelioma and for respiratory diseases, pathologies for which there is epidemiological evidence of an excess of risk associated with residence in port areas. The strong environmental pressures that characterize these areas make it necessary to adopt adequate environmental and health protection measures.