Study on the health status of the population living in Marghera (Venice, Italy) through the use of a longitudinal surveillance system.

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study is to carry out an investigation to evaluate the industrial area of Porto Marghera (the only Site of National Interest - SNI - for clearance operations in the Veneto region) by means of data from the Venetian Epidemiological Surveillance System (SEIVE - Sistema Epidemiologico Integrato di Venezia). In particular, the aim is to assess the extent at which chronic exposure to industrial pollutants contributes to the genesis of non-communicable diseases such as tumors. We have employed healthcare administrative databases to analyze health conditions of the population residing in the area of Marghera, separately from the rest of the mainland. The results obtained highlight a series of critical problems concerning the population residing in Marghera. These issues, such as an excess in the overall cancer mortality rate, have been observed in both genders, as well as in the lung cancer incidence and mortality rate. In addition, we detected an increase in mortality for respiratory diseases only in the male population.