Southern Italian Research Articles

Germline Variant Spectrum in Southern Italian High-Risk Hereditary Breast Cancer Patients: Insights from Multi-Gene Panel Testing

Hereditary breast cancer accounts for 5–10% of all cases, with pathogenic variants in BRCA1/2 and other susceptibility genes playing a crucial role. This study elucidates the prevalence and spectrum of germline variants in 13 cancer predisposition genes among high—risk hereditary breast cancer patients from Southern Italy. We employed next-generation sequencing (NGS) to analyze 254 individuals selected through genetic counseling. Pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants were identified in 13% (34/254) of patients, with 54% of these variants occurring in non-BRCA1/2 genes. Notably, we observed a recurrent BRCA1 c.4964_4982del founder mutation, underscoring the importance of population-specific genetic screening. The spectrum of variants extended beyond BRCA1/2 to include PALB2, ATM, TP53, CHEK2, and RAD51C, highlighting the genetic heterogeneity of breast cancer susceptibility. Variants of uncertain significance were detected in 20% of patients, emphasizing the ongoing challenge of variant interpretation in the era of multi-gene panel testing. These findings not only enhance our understanding of the genetic landscape of breast cancer in Southern Italy but also provide a foundation for developing more targeted, population-specific approaches to genetic testing and counseling, ultimately contributing to the advancement of precision medicine in oncology.

Adverse childhood experiences and dissociation among Italian public psychology service users

Different studies have provided evidence that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with mental health problems as a function of racial and ethnic diversity. The aim of the present study was thus to study the association between ACEs and dissociation in a sample of Southern Italian public psychology service (PPS) users. A sample of 183 adults who requested psychotherapeutic treatment within an Italian PPS was recruited. ACEs were assessed via the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (ACE-Q). Dissociative symptoms were assessed via the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES-II) and the Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire (SDQ-20). Dissociative syndromes were assessed via two scales of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI-III): the Somatoform Syndrome (H) and the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Syndrome (R) scales. The most common types of ACEs in our sample were emotional neglect and emotional abuse. The number of ACEs showed a significant association with all the different measures of dissociation administered. Logistic regression analysis for the DES-II resulted in a solution made up of sexual abuse and parental separation or divorce. The regression analysis for the SDQ-20 resulted in a solution made up of emotional abuse, physical neglect, and parental separation or divorce. Sexual abuse positively predicted PTSD scale scores, while no solution was found for somatoform disorder. ACEs and dissociation were strongly associated in this study, but the nature of this association depended on the aspect of dissociation under investigation, particularly when we considered the distinction between dissociative symptoms versus syndromes. Cultural characteristics and clinical implications for public services are discussed.

Protective Effect of Extra Virgin Olive Oil on Cancers, Gastrointestinal Cancers, and All-Cause Mortality: A Competing Risk Analysis in a Southern Italian Cohort.

This study investigates the association between extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) consumption and mortality risk in a cohort of Italian adults adhering to the Mediterranean diet. In a 17-year follow-up study involving participants from Castellana Grotte, Italy (2005-2023), we analyzed dietary intake and mortality data. Participants were categorized into three EVOO consumption groups: <30 g/day, 30-50 g/day, and >50 g/day. Mortality Hazard Ratios (HR) and Subdistribution Hazard Ratios (SHR) were calculated to assess the relationship between EVOO intake and all-cause and cancer mortality. Higher EVOO consumption was associated with significantly reduced cancer and all-cause mortality. Specifically, the daily intake of 30-50 g of EVOO was linked to a 24% lower risk of all-cause mortality (HR 0.77; 95% CI 0.63-0.93), while the consumption of more than 50 g/day was associated with a 20% reduction (HR 0.80; 95% CI 0.65-0.98). The most pronounced benefit was observed for gastrointestinal cancers, with a 60% lower mortality risk for those consuming over 50 g/day (SHR 0.39; 95% CI 0.21-0.73). A 50% reduction in mortality risk from other cancers was also noted for the highest consumption category (SHR 0.50; 95% CI 0.31-0.81). The findings support the beneficial role of EVOO in reducing cancer mortality, particularly with higher consumption levels. The results underscore EVOO's potential as a dietary intervention for cancer prevention, aligning with the Mediterranean diet's overall health benefits. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and explore the underlying mechanisms.

Commons land management in Southern, post-unification Italy: New evidence from a micro analysis on Salerno province

Abstract The aim of this study is to observe the ability of Southern Italian municipalities to respond to and redefine the management of common lands following the national privatisation and partition policies promoted by the State during the second half of the nineteenth century. The hypothesis tested is whether, through the analysis of new archival sources such as management rules, it is possible to identify good practices of management of common lands, along with the presence of resilience on the part of local communities during a period defined as one of uncontrollable ‘decline’ for these resources. Three Apennine areas (Campania Region) were identified as the observation sample. The analysis revealed that for these specific cases, it is imprecise to speak of decline and a lack of propensity to develop good management practices, but rather of institutions that are attentive to the protection and preservation of their commons through specific rules.

Colonialismo italiano e questione meridionale: amnesie, memorie competitive e alleanze intersezionali ai margini di una comunità immaginata bianca1

This article examines the intertwined histories of “internal colonialism” in Southern Italy and Italian colonialism in Africa, addressing the question of Italy’s national amnesia in relation to these topics. Drawing on Michael Rothberg’s “multidirectional memory” framework, the essay explores how the two historical issues mentioned above risk becoming competitive memories in contemporary public history debates. To develop this argument, the essay presents two case studies. The first is Pino Aprile’s Contro l’oblio. Giorno della Memoria per le vittime meridionali dell’Unità d’Italia. The book exemplifies competitive memory in the broader context of the neo-Bourbon approach to the Southern Question. The literal use of concepts such as colonialism and racism as metaphors for the Southern Italian condition risks creating self-apologetic narratives driven by “white anxiety,” absolving Southern Italians from their historical involvement in colonialism and contemporary racial privileges. The second case study examines the Museo Cesare Lombroso in Turin as an archive of Italian antiblackness. This section proposes the museum as a potential site for multidirectional memories, focusing on the interplay between the racialized representation of Southern Italians and Italian colonial racism. The goal is to articulate these two memories without overlapping them, emphasizing different historical responsibilities and contemporary privileges. The article underscores why intersectionality and positionality are critical to analyze the complexities of racial and colonial histories and their relevance to contemporary social justice struggles.

Use of Vertical Greenery Systems for the domestic scale treatment of greywaters for fit-for-purpose reuse. Applicability and future prospects.

Abstract Only less than 1% of the Earth’s water is fit for human activities. Domestic consumption accounts for roughly 20% of all uses of water, adding pressure to the increasing water scarcity stress. Water intakes of residential buildings for all everyday uses are constituted by a high-quality resource, which is either costly to produce or conspicuous in amounts to withdraw from natural sources. The present proposal aims to test the feasibility of the application of decentralized greywater treatment strategies, based on the use of vertical greenery systems integrated into residential buildings to assess both the optimal scale of application in residential settlements and a comparative analysis on reclaimed water resource savings. The aim is to promote the circular use of water resources by allowing for fit-for-purpose employment, thus reducing the overall intake due to the residential sector. The methodology hereby proposed has been developed using as a case study the most widespread residential typologies in the Southern Italian context, such as single detachment, row houses, low and medium-rise apartment buildings. The result is the proposition for each residential typology of a retrofitting strategy that employs the integration of a green infrastructure inside the residential spaces. Until now, the Mediterranean context has been characterized by limited use of strategies directed towards the efficient employment of water resources, since the mild climatic conditions have always provided for an adequate amount of freshwater. Therefore, limited studies have been carried out on the application of those strategies in Mediterranean landscapes. However, the rapid shift in precipitation patterns due to climate change has defined the need to quickly embrace new strategies, systems, and technical solutions for improving water use efficiency and promoting reuse.

Soft soap and linalool as potential management tools for Philaenus spumarius (Hemiptera: Aphrophoridae), vector of Xylellafastidiosa

Philaenus spumarius (Hemiptera: Aphrophoridae) is one of the most polyphagous xylem-feeding pests. It recently acquired bad fame when it was identified as the main vector of the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa, the causal agent of the Olive Quick Decline Syndrome that, within ten years, has affected and led to the death of more than 21 million olive trees in the Southern Italian region Apulia alone. Despite the agricultural practices and synthetic insecticides available, as not sufficiently effective, more strategies to target all the developmental instars of the pest and eco-friendly formulations, especially in organic orchards, are urgently needed. Therefore, the main goals of this work were to test the toxicity of a solution of potassium salts of fatty acids (soft soap) on P. spumarius juveniles and assess the attractiveness exerted by linalool on adults in a planar olfactometer. According to our results, the average neanids/nymphs’ mortality was 82.2 ± 10.4% 24h after spraying the soft soap on them at the labelled dose. Regarding the adults, linalool was significantly attractive to both sexes in a concentrations range between 0.01 and 0.12 μL linalool L−1 air. Our purpose is to potentially suggest a dual, integrated control approach against P. spumarius, with the soft soap as a biopesticide to reduce the immature stages of the pest and attractive, linalool-activated traps to numerically cull the population of the meadow spittlebug as part of a broader management system.

Investigating the Slow Food - Place relation: An empirical study of dairy communities in Abruzzo

The paper examines the relational processes characterizing the life of Slow Food communities (or presidia) of dairy producers in the Southern Italian region of Abruzzo. The study uses the notion of assemblage to theoretically approach and empirically analyse these processes. The paper investigates the links between Slow Food and the different actors involved in the development of the presidia, thus providing an interpretation of the communities as the result of complex participatory processes. It also explores the relations in place between presidia and then the links between various products, localities, and food traditions. Through this analysis, the paper demonstrates how the territories considered are linked by the presence of interdependent food productions and by the existence of strong connections between different groups of activists and producers. The study contributes to the understanding of the dynamic and composite nature of Slow Food in terms of its relationships with other similar assemblages and with the territories in which the movement operates.

Exploring the Relationship of rs2802292 with Diabetes and NAFLD in a Southern Italian Cohort-Nutrihep Study.

Background: The minor G-allele of FOXO3 rs2802292 is associated with human longevity. The aim of this study was to test the protective effect of the variant against the association with type 2 Diabetes and NAFLD. Methods: rs2802292 was genotyped in a large population of middle-aged subjects (n = 650) from a small city in Southern Italy. All participants were interviewed to collect information about lifestyle and dietary habits; clinical characteristics were recorded, and blood samples were collected from all subjects. The association between rs2802292 and NAFLD or diabetes was tested using a logistic model and mediation analysis adjusted for covariates. Results: Overall, the results indicated a statistical association between diabetes and rs2802292, especially for the TT genotype (OR = 2.14, 1.01 to 4.53 95% C.I., p = 0.05) or in any case for those who possess the G-allele (OR = 0.45, 0.25 to 0.81 95% C.I., p = 0.008). Furthermore, we found a mediation effect of rs2802292 on diabetes (as mediator) and NAFLD. There is no direct relationship between rs2802292 and NAFLD, but the effect is direct (β = 0.10, -0.003 to 0.12 95% C.I., p = 0.04) on diabetes, but only in TT genotypes. Conclusions: The data on our cohort indicate that the longevity-associated FOXO3 variant may have protective effects against diabetes and NAFLD.

Resistance to ceftazidime-avibactam and other new β-lactams in Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates: a multi-center surveillance study.

Multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections are a growing threat due to the limited therapeutic options available. Ceftazidime-avibactam (CZA) is among the last-resort antibiotics for the treatment of difficult-to-treat P. aeruginosa infections, although resistance due to the acquisition of transferable β-lactamase genes is increasing. With this work, we report that CZA represents a highly active antipseudomonal β-lactam compound (after cefiderocol), and that metallo-β-lactamases (VIM-type) and extended-spectrum β-lactamases (GES and PER-type) production is the major factor underlying CZA resistance in isolates from Southern Italian hospitals. In addition, we reported that such resistance mechanisms were mainly carried by the international high-risk clones ST111 and ST235.

Food waste awareness among Italian university students: results of an online survey.

Food waste (FW) represents a significant social and environmental problem, with 1.3 billion tons of food wasted yearly worldwide. Even if consumers are increasingly aware of the phenomenon, it remains relevant, and understanding the behaviors of specific target audience segments appears instrumental to the planning of effective interventions. To this end, we designed an observational study to investigate, throughout an online questionnaire, FW-related habits of university students in a Southern Italian region. A representative sample of 431 students from the University of Catanzaro Magna Graecia completed an online survey aimed at investigate FW related behaviors. A descriptive analysis was performed on the whole cohort, and a formal statistical analysis was carried out after excluding responders who had not correctly followed the survey instructions (n = 85). Differences were assessed by chi square (χ 2) tests. A food wasting score was generated, and differences in the score values were analyzed by Student T-test. Linear and multiple regression analyses were performed to identify factors contributing to the score. Overall, the results of our survey show a high prevalence of virtuous behaviors in the food purchasing phase; while, at home, less than 50% of respondents apply easy-to-implement waste prevention rules. The statistical analysis showed that the major determinants of FW were: no direct involvement in grocery shopping and male gender. Indeed, even if we observed several significant differences comparing subgroups based on established or putative determinants of FW behaviors, none survived matching for group size, gender and relevant food managing (shopping, storing, cooking) habits. The only exception was the more appropriate handling of "use by" products by respondents who received structured nutrition teaching, as opposed to students whose academic courses do not include this subject (adjusted p = 0.008). Our data suggest that young adults are trying to implement strategies to reduce FW, even if there is room for improvement, particularly in the storage phase. Extending nutrition education to all university programs may be helpful in reaching this goal.

Y-chromosome analysis recapitulates key events of Mediterranean populations

The remarkable geographical situation of the Mediterranean region, located between Europe, Africa, and Asia, with numerous migratory routes, has made this area a crucible of cultures. Studying the Y-chromosome variability is a very performant tool to explore the genetic ancestry and evaluate scenarios that may explain the current Mediterranean gene pool. Here, six Mediterranean populations, including three Balearic Islands (Ibiza, Majorca, and Minorca) and three Southern Italian regions (Catanzaro, Cosenza, and Reggio di Calabria) were typed using 23 Y-STR loci and up to 39 Y-SNPs and compared to geographically targeted key reference populations to explore their genetic relationship and provide an overview of Y-chromosome variation across the Mediterranean basin. Pairwise RST genetic distances calculated with STRs markers and Y-haplogroups mirror the West to East geographic distribution of European and Asian Mediterranean populations, highlighting the North-South division of Italy, with a higher Eastern Mediterranean component in Southern Italian populations. In contrast, the African populations from the Southern coast of the Mediterranean clustered separately. Overall, these results support the notion that migrations from Magna Graecia or the Byzantine Empire, which followed similar Neolithic and post-Neolithic routes into Southern Italy, may have contributed to maintaining and/or reinforcing the Eastern Mediterranean genetic component in Southern Italian populations.

Ponticulus posticus and skeletal malocclusion: A pilot study in a Southern Italian pre-orthodontic court.

Ponticulus posticus (PP) is a bony protrusion located between the posterior portion of the superior articular process and the posterolateral portion of a posterior arch of the atlas vertebrae in the cervical spine. The aim of this study is to verify the presence of different types of PP in a Southern Italian pre-orthodontic cohort to understand its correlation with skeletal class and maturity. A case-control retrospective study was conducted, utilizing 212 latero-lateral telecranium radiographs to analyze skeletal maturity according to the cervical vertebral maturation method, the Angle's classification of malocclusion (I, II, or III), and the presence or absence of the PP, whether complete (c-PP) or partial (p-PP). A total of 212 lateral cephalograms were analyzed. Of the 72 male patients, 67 (93%) exhibited PP, and 116 (88%) were PP. The chi-square value was 0.001, while Cramer's V was 0.270, indicating a significant correlation between age groups and PP presence, and a very strong association overall. Out of the 41 complete PP cases, class I was notably more prevalent than classes II and III. Orthodontists should carefully consider PP when assessing and treating individuals with or without skeletal discrepancies and dental anomalies.

Eccentric, unintelligible, gregarious and undomesticated: Southern Italian female characters in three films by Leonardo Pieraccioni

Prominent scholarship on the Italian South has reflected on the otherized, inferiorized and racialized positionality of the region’s territories, cultures and populations within the national Italian debate, with the North functioning as an allegedly virtuous norm that the South constantly fails to conform to. The gendered imagery that inscribes this type of ethnic and territorial subordination permits, in this context, the visualization of anomalous, recalcitrant and undomesticated Southern women that function as a metaphor of the irredeemable otherness of the South. In this article, I use as a starting point three films starring and directed by Leonardo Pieraccioni, namely I laureati (The Graduates) (1995), Il ciclone (The Cyclone) (1996) and Il paradiso all’improvviso (Suddenly Paradise) (2003). I consider these films in order to analyse the screen personas of Tosca D’Aquino and Anna Maria Barbera, both of whom embody, in different ways, the encounter between Southern identity, eccentricity and non-normative corporalities.

Essential Oils from Southern Italian Aromatic Plants Synergize with Antibiotics against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterococcus faecalis Cell Growth and Biofilm Formation.

The spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens has prompted the development of novel approaches to identify molecules that synergize with antibiotics to enhance their efficacy. This study aimed to investigate the effects of ten Essential Oils (EOs) on the activity of nine antibiotics in influencing growth and biofilm formation in Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterococcus faecalis. The effects of the EOs alone and in combination with antibiotics on both bacterial growth and biofilm formation were analyzed by measuring the MIC values through the broth microdilution method and the crystal violet assay, respectively. All EOs inhibited the growth of E. coli (1.25 ≤ MIC ≤ 5 mg/mL) while the growth of P. aeruginosa and E. faecalis was only affected by EOs from Origanum vulgare, (MIC = 5 mg/mL) and O. vulgare (MIC = 1.25 mg/mL) and Salvia rosmarinus (MIC = 5 mg/mL), respectively. In E. coli, most EOs induced a four- to sixteen-fold reduction in the MIC values of ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, ceftriaxone, gentamicin, and streptomycin, while in E. faecalis such a reduction is observed in combinations of ciprofloxacin with C. nepeta, C. bergamia, C. limon, C. reticulata, and F. vulgare, of gentamicin with O. vulgare, and of tetracycline with C. limon and O. vulgare. A smaller effect was observed in P. aeruginosa, in which only C. bergamia reduced the concentration of tetracycline four-fold. EO-antibiotic combinations also inhibit the biofilm formation. More precisely, all EOs with ciprofloxacin in E. coli, tetracycline in P. aeruginosa, and gentamicin in E. faecalis showed the highest percentage of inhibition. Combinations induce up- and down-methylation of cytosines and adenines compared to EO or antibiotics alone. The study provides evidence about the role of EOs in enhancing the action of antibiotics by influencing key processes involved in resistance mechanisms such as biofilm formation and epigenetic changes. Synergistic interactions should be effectively considered in dealing with pathogenic microorganisms.

Leisure-Time Physical Activity in Subjects with Metabolic-Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease: An All-Cause Mortality Study.

Background: Metabolic-dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) affects 30% of adults worldwide and is associated with obesity and cardiovascular risk factors. If left untreated, it can progress to severe liver disease. Lifestyle changes such as physical activity and weight loss help to reduce the severity and risk of mortality. This study estimated the impact of MASLD and leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) on mortality and examined how gender mediates this effect in a Southern Italian population. Methods: This work is a population-based prospective cohort study of inhabitants of Castellana Grotte (>30 years old) in Southern Italy, which began in 1985. Participants provided general health information, underwent anthropometric measurements and ultrasonography, and completed a validated questionnaire on their food intake and LTPA. The vital status was tracked through local municipalities Results: In total, 1826 participants (39% with MASLD) were enrolled in this study, drawn from 2970 eligible subjects; the mean age was 51.91 (±14.76) years and 56.2% were men. Subjects with MASLD who practiced low LTPA had a significantly higher risk of death than those who did not have MASLD and practiced high LTPA. In addition, subjects with MASLD who practiced low LTPA were about 19% less likely to survive to the age of 82 years. As regards gender, both men and women with MASLD and low LTPA showed a significant risk of death, but this was higher in women. Conclusions: The presence of MASLD, especially in women, increases the risk of death from all causes. LTPA plays a key role in the disease and reduces mortality in these individuals.

Factors Associated with Primary Liver Cancer Survival in a Southern Italian Setting in a Changing Epidemiological Scenario.

A retrospective observational study utilising cancer incidence data from a population-based registry investigated determinants affecting primary liver cancer survival in a southern Italian region with high hepatitis viral infection rates and obesity prevalence. Among 2687 patients diagnosed between 2006 and 2019 (65.3% male), a flexible hazard-based regression model revealed factors influencing 5-year survival rates. High deprivation levels [HR = 1.41 (95%CI = 1.15-1.76); p < 0.001], poor access to care [HR = 1.99 (95%IC = 1.70-2.35); p < 0.0001], age between 65 and 75 [HR = 1.48 (95%IC = 1.09-2.01); p < 0.05] or >75 [HR = 2.21 (95%CI = 1.62-3.01); p < 0.0001] and residing in non-urban areas [HR = 1.35 (95%CI = 1.08-1.69); p < 0.01] were associated with poorer survival estimates. While deprivation appeared to be a risk factor for primary liver cancer patients residing within the urban area, the geographic distance from specialised treatment centres emerged as a potential determinant of lower survival estimates for residents in the non-urban areas. After balancing the groups of easy and poor access to care using a propensity score approach, poor access to care and a lower socioeconomic status resulted in potentially having a negative impact on primary liver cancer survival, particularly among urban residents. We emphasise the need to interoperate cancer registries with other data sources and to deploy innovative digital solutions to improve cancer prevention.

Guaranteeing Human Rights? Italian ‘Gastarbeiter:innen’ and Housing Activism in 1960s and 1970s West Germany

This article examines migrant grassroots movements that invoked universalising rights’ languages to assert claims to decent and affordable housing in West Germany in the 1960s and 1970s. It focuses on Southern Italian migrant ‘guest workers’ who utilized rights’ claims to highlight dismal living conditions and the lack of access to affordable housing for migrant families in their new communities. Migrants’ claims then ‘scaled up’ to the level of international relations and the European Parliament as state actors and advocacy groups couched migrant housing conditions in terms of human rights. No matter the forum, ideas surrounding human rights created frameworks of debate over the West German welfare state, the free movement of labour within the European Economic Community, and even visions of European citizenship and integration. As such, this article illustrates the disparities between canonising human rights on paper and the challenges of guaranteeing said rights on the ground, particularly for populations not confined to the boundaries of their own nation-state.

Dialectometry-based classification of the Central–Southern Italian dialects

Abstract This paper provides a new classification of Central–Southern Italian dialects using dialectometric methods. All varieties considered are analyzed and cast in a data set where homogeneous areas are evaluated according to a selected list of phonetic features. Using numerical evaluation of these features and the Manhattan distance, a linguistic distance rule is defined. On this basis, the classification problem is formulated as a clustering problem, and a k-means algorithm is used. Additionally, an ad-hoc rule is set to identify transitional areas, and silhouette analysis is used to select the most appropriate number of clusters. While meaningful results are obtained for each number of clusters, a nine-group classification emerges as the most appropriate. As the results suggest, this classification is less subjective, more precise, and more comprehensive than traditional ones based on selected isoglosses.

Creating safety amidst chronic contamination: A mixed-method analysis of residents’ experiences in a Southern Italian steel town

This study analyses how residents create safety in Taranto, Italy, a city located next to one of the largest steel plants in Europe. Combining long-term ethnographic research with an online-based survey, our study shows that most respondents recognise and criticise the presence of environmental risks in their daily lives but encounter such risks in complex ways. Contrary to previous scholarship suggesting that pollution can result in alienating residents from their lived environment, this research shows that acute awareness of environmental risks does not necessarily undermine attachment to place but rather can co-exist with or even strengthen it. Our findings propose first that residents experience and understand environmental risk mostly through air pollution, but often situate risks outside of their own neighbourhood and inscribe different meanings to such risk. Second, residents mitigate environmental risk through practices aimed at creating safety, such as moving away from the industrial area or using everyday practices and reflecting on their responsibility for actions. Third, we argue that residents create safety through an attachment and entitlement to place and emotional detachment from pollution and institutional failures. Finally, in line with residents’ concerns about safety and how to secure it, this study embraces a shift in its analytical focus from risk to the quest for safety. By doing so, it provides novel insights into environmental risk perception in industrially polluted areas and reveals the often-contradictory sentiments and practices that such areas invoke in residents.