In March 2005, a state of environmental emergency was recognized in the valley of the Sacco river, as high levels of beta-hexachlorocyclohexane (β-HCH)

were discovered in samples of raw milk from a farm. Environmental pollution has been ascertained for a large area, due to the contamination of the Sacco river originated by toxic waste dumps of industrial origin. Farm animals as well as the human population have been exposed to this pollution.

To assess the state of health of the population in relationship to this environmental exposure, the Lazio Region has promoted, in the year 2006, the project "Health of the Population in the Valle del Sacco Area", coordinated by the Department of Epidemiology of the Regional Health Service of the Lazio Region. A first study based on human biomonitoring of a sample of the resident population in four areas with different environmental contamination had highlighted higher valuesof β-HCH for those living within 1 km from the Sacco river, with values more than twice as high compared to the other areas. The blood levels of β-HCH increased with the age of the subjects, indicating that the contamination has chronic features with accumulation.

Following this first phase, in 2009 the Lazio Region has funded a program of "Sanitary and Epidemiological Surveillance of the Population living near the Sacco river." This program provides for the biological monitoring of the concentration of -HCH in blood and for the evaluation of health effects on population residing close to the Sacco river (within 1 km), by periodic checks.

The first phase of surveillance was carried out between 2010 and 2013, the results of which are available in a technical report.

To know more:

Rapporto sorveglianza Valle del Sacco (1.12 MB)