Italy:Woman Dying of Stomach Cancer from Dioxin

[ttweed@wildrockies.org (Tony Tweedale)]

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  >From: "the greenbase" <greenbas@gb.greenpeace.org>
  >Organization: greenpeace
  >To: press-releases@xs2.greenpeace.org
  >Date: Tue, 8 Jul 1997 12:19:05 +0000
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  >Subject: Italy:Woman Dying of Stomach Cancer from Dioxin
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  >
  >SEVESO: WOMAN DYING OF CANCER PRESENTS  DRAMATIC CONCENTRATION
  >OF DIOXIN IN HER STOMACH
  >
  >Rome (Italy), 8 July 1997 --- A woman who lived in the area
  >contaminated by the ICMESA explosion in 1976 (in Seveso) has
  >developed a form of stomach cancer, said Greenpeace today.
  >According to several scientists (1), stomach tumors similar to
  >the one found in the patient have been correlated with exposure
  >to TCDD, the type of dioxin released at Seveso, also called
  >"Seveso dioxin".
  >
  >Last February, Greenpeace was asked by the family of Linda L. ,
  >aged 52, to conduct analysis on the patient, so to check the
  >presence of dioxin in the body. Samples were taken of the
  >stomach and the adjoining adipose tissue. The analysis revealed
  >a dramatic concentration of TCDD, which accounts for 77.8% of
  >total toxicity in the adipose tissue and 76.4% in the organ
  >removed.
  >
  >These data show that contamination is largely due to dioxin
  >exposure at the 1976 accident. Dioxin, in particular 2,3,7,8
  >TCDD, was labelled categorically a human carcinogen by the
  >International Agency for Research on Cancer in March 1997.
  >
  >"For too long the chemical industry has denied the harmful
  >effects of dioxins.", said Fabrizio Fabbri of Greenpeace
  >"Nowhere has this travesty of bad science and injustice been
  >more perpetrated than at Seveso."
  >
  >After the accident, the patient's family as well as other
  >victims appeared as plaintiffs against the company responsible,
  >but nobody has been compensated yet, except for a few
  >individuals reimbursed for material damage.
  >
  >"It is time multinationals and uncaring politicians put an end
  >to their irresponsible behaviour" said Fabbri. "We urge an
  >immediate investigation into the political ineptitude
  >surrounding these legal claims".
  >
  >Greenpeace asked quick compensation by Hoffman-La Roche, owner
  >of the ICMESA plant, to the mother, her family and the rest of
  >the community contaminated by the 1976 explosion. The
  >environmental group also renewed its demand for further
  >investigation on the residual dioxin-contamination of the area
  >around the site of the accident (area B). end
  > -------
  >For information:
  >Fabrizio Fabbri, Greenpeace Italy, t.+39 330 92 43 73
  > Luisa Colasimone, Greenpeace Communications, t. +31 20 52 49
  >546  --------
  >NOTE:
  >
  >(1)  * Manz A., Berger J., Dwyer J. H., Flesh-Janys, Nagel S.,
  >Waltsgott H., 1991. Cancer mortality among workers in chemical
  >plant contaminated with dioxin. The Lancet, 338: pp. 959-964.
  > * Fingerhut M. A., Halperin W. E., Marlow D. A., Piacitelli L.
  >A.,  Honghar P. A., Sweeney M. H., Greife A. L., Dill P. A.,
  >Steenland K.,  Suruda A. J., 1991. Cancer mortality in workers
  >exposed to 2, 3, 7,  8-tetrachlorodibenso-p-dioxin. The New
  >England Journal of Medicine,  24 Jan. 1991, p. 212
  >. * Kogevinas M., Saracci R., Winkelmann R.,
  > Johnson E. S., Bertazzi P. A., Bueno de Mesquita B. H.,
  >Kauppinen T.,  Littorin M., Lynge E., Neuberger M., Pearce N.,
  >1993. Cancer  incidence and mortality in women occupationally
  >exposed to  chlorophenoxy herbicides, chlorphenols, and dioxin.
  >Cancer Causes and  Control, 4: pp. 457-553.
  > * Thiess A. M., Frentzel-Beyme R., Link R.,
  > 1982. Mortality study of persons exposed to dioxin in a
  > trichlorophenol-process accident that occurred in the BASF AG
  >on 17  November 1953. American Journal of Industrial Medicine
  >3 (2): pp.  173-189.
  >