[Health conditions of the general population living near a steel plant].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the health conditions (period 1986-2003) of the residents in Cornigliano, a district of Genoa (Italy), exposed to air pollution produced by a steel plant with coke-ovens.


METHODS
Three epidemiological investigations were performed: on all mortality causes; on tumors incidence; on hospitalizations for respiratory diseases. The studies are based on the Regional Mortality Registry, the Ligurian Tumor Registry and the regional hospital discharge records. We calculated both the standardized mortality (SMR) and incidence (SIR) ratios with 95% confidence limits, and we have compared the hospitalization rates in two Cornigliano subareas with different pollution levels; the "rest of Genoa" represents the general reference.


RESULTS
In Cornigliano the total mortality is statistically higher among males (SMR 123; n. 1684) and females (SMR 148; n. 2160); in particular all tumours, prostate, brain and emolymphopoietic system were significantly higher among males, while colon-rectum and NOS intestine tumours were higher among females. SMRs were statistically higher in both genders for degenerative illnesses of the nervous central system, brain circulatory disorders and liver cirrhosis; only in males for respiratory tract illnesses and in females for myocardial heart attacks. The incidence has increased to a statistically significant extent among males for all cancer sites (SIR 110; n. 821), and for larynx, brain and emolymphopoietic system tumours. Hospitalizations for respiratory illnesses appear to be higher in the most polluted area among males (age 0-14), and decreased after closing the coke-oven plant (2002).


CONCLUSIONS
Results of these studies suggest that air pollution in Cornigliano may have a role on populations health conditions.
Casella
Claudia
C
SSD Epidemiologia descrittiva, Istituto nazionale ricerca sul cancro, Genova. claudia.casella@istge.it
Garrone
Elsa
E
Gennaro
Valerio
V
Orengo
Maria Antonietta
MA
Puppo
Antonella
A
Stagnaro
Emanuele
E
Viarengo
Paolo
P
Vercelli
Marina
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008669:Metallurgy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality; D013232:Steel
D013232:Steel