Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Geo-volcanological, mineralogical and environmental aspects of quarry materials related to pleural neoplasm in the area of Biancavilla, Mount Etna (Eastern Sicily, Italy)

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Environmental Geology

Abstract

The town of Biancavilla, located on the lower flanks of Mt. Etna volcano, eastern Sicily (Italy), showed high mortality rates owing to malignant pleural neoplasms, a cause of death specifically related to exposure to asbestos fibres. An environmental survey indicated the stone quarry site of “Il Calvario” as a possible source of asbestos fibre exposure, while a mineralogical study allowed to identify the new asbestiform mineral “fluoro-edenite”. A joint epidemiological and environmental study was conducted to assess the characteristics of the outbreak of malignant mesothelioma and to test the assumption of a causal relation with exposure to fluoro-edenite. Due to the lack of awareness of fluoro-edenite releases, Il Calvario may not be the only source of the fibre, but is probably the main one. The evolution of the volume of material quarried from Il Calvario was studied on the basis of maps printed from 1896 to 1995, by using a digital elevation model. The natural and anthropogenic causes of the territorial spread of the newly discovered amphibole fibres are discussed relatively to a geo-volcanological, territorial and environmental evolution of the area affected.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Baiocchi V, Burragato F (2003) Studio delle possibilità di valutazione di evoluzione di aree estrattive mediante cartografie storiche. Convengo ASITA, Verona 28–30 ottobre 2003. Atti V1:139–144

    Google Scholar 

  • Baris Y, Simonato L, Artvinli M, Pooley F, Saracci R, Skidmore J, Wagner C (1987) Epidemiological and environmental evidence of the health effects of exposure to erionite fibres: a four-year study in the Cappadocian region of Turkey. Int J Cancer 39:10–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Bernardini P, Schettino B, Sperduto B, Giannadrea F, Burragato F, Castellino N (2003) Tre Casi di mesotelioma pleurico ed inquinamento ambientale da rocce affioranti di tremolite in Lucania. G It Med Lav Erg 25:408–411

    Google Scholar 

  • Blot WJ, Fraumeni JF (1996) Cancers of the lung and pleura. In: Schottenfeld D, Fraumeni JF (eds) Cancer epidemiology and prevention. Oxford University press, Oxford, pp 637–665

    Google Scholar 

  • Bourdes V, Boffetta P, Pisani P (2000) Environmental exposure to asbestos and risk of pleural mesothelioma: review and meta-analysis. Eur J Epidemiol 15:411–417

    Google Scholar 

  • Burragato F, Mastacchi R, Papacchini L, Rossini F, Sperduto B (2004) Mapping of risks due to particulates of natural origin containing fibrous tremolite: the case of Seluci di Lauria (Basilicata, Italy). Natural Hazard Abstract, poster session NH 11.01 in European Geoscience Union, 1st General Assembly, Nice France 25–30 April 2004

    Google Scholar 

  • Comba P, Gianfagna A, Paoletti L (2003) The pleural mesothelioma cases in Biancavilla are related to the new fibrous amphibole fluoro-edenite. Arch Environ Health 58(4):229–232

    Google Scholar 

  • Constantopoulos SH, Theodoracopoulos P, Dascalopoulos G, Saratzis N, Sideris K (1991) “Metsovo lung” outside Metsovo. Endemic pleural calcifications in the ophiolite belts of Greece. Chest 99:1158–1161

    Google Scholar 

  • De Nardo P, Bruni B, Sirianni B, Paoletti L (2002) Sheep as animal sentinel: a case-study in Biancavilla. Atti della Società Italiana delle Scienze Veterinarie LVI:147–148

    Google Scholar 

  • De Nardo P, Bruni B, Paoletti L, Pasetto R, Sirianni B (2004) Pulmonary fibre burden in sheep living in the Biancavilla area (Sicily): preliminary results. Sc Tot Environ 325:51–58

    Google Scholar 

  • De Rita D, Frazzetta G, Romano R (1991) The Biancavilla–Montalto ignimbrite (Etna, Sicily). Bull Volcanol 53:121–131

    Google Scholar 

  • Di Paola M, Mastrantonio M, Comba P, Grignoli M, Maiozzi P, Martuzzi M (1992) Distribuzione territoriale della mortalità per tumore maligno della pleura in Italia. Ann Ist Sup Sanità 28:589–600

    Google Scholar 

  • Di Paola M, Mastrantonio M, Carboni M, Belli S, Grignoli M, Comba P, Nesti M (1996) La mortalità per tumore maligno della pleura in Italia negli anni 1988–1992. Roma: Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rapporti ISTISAN 96/40

  • Dumortier P, Rey F, Viallat RJ, Broucke I, Boutin C, De Vuyst P (2002) Chrysotile and tremolite asbestos fibres in the lungs and parietal pleura of Corsican goats. Occup Environ Med 59:643–646

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Duncan AM (1976) Pyroclastic flow deposits in the Adrano area of Mount Etna, Sicily. Geol Mag 113:357–363

    Google Scholar 

  • Gianfagna A, Oberti R (2001) Fluoro-edenite from Biancavilla (Catania, Sicily, Italy): crystal chemistry of a new amphibole end-member. Am Mineral 83:1486–1493

    Google Scholar 

  • Gianfagna A, Ballirano P, Bellatreccia F, Bruni B, Paoletti L, Oberti R (2003) Characterization of amphibole fibres linked to mesothelioma in the area of Biancavilla, Eastern Sicily, Italy. Mineral Mag 67(6):1221–1229.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gillot PY, Kieffer G, Romano R (1994) The evolution of Mount Etna in the light of potassium-argon dating. Acta Vulcanol 5:81–87

    Google Scholar 

  • Guest JE, Chester DK, Duncan AM (1984) The Valle del Bove, Mount Etna: its origin and relation to the stratigraphy and structure of the volcano. J Volcanol Geotherm Res 21:1–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Hillerdal G (1999) Mesothelioma: cases associated with non-occupational and low dose exposure. Occup Environ Med 56:505–513

    Google Scholar 

  • Hodgson JT, Darton A (2000) The quantitative risk of mesothelioma and lung cancer in relation to asbestos exposure. Ann Occup Hyg 44:565–601

    Google Scholar 

  • I.G.M.ed. Topographic maps 1868 ristampa 1895, (1:50.000), 1925 (1:25.000), 1969(1:25.000), 1985 (1:10.000)

  • Keller J (1981) Quaternary tephrachronology in the Mediterranean region. In: Self S, Sparks RSJ (eds) Tephra studies. NATO Advanced Study Institutes Series, Series C 75. D Reidel Publ Comp, Dordrecht, 227–244

    Google Scholar 

  • Keller J, Ryan WBF, Ninkovich D, Altherr R (1978) Explosive volcanic activity in the Mediterranean over the past 200,000 yr as recorded in deep-sea sediments. Geol Soc Am Bull 89:591–604

    Google Scholar 

  • Lo Giudice E, Patané G, Rasà R, Romano R (1982) The structural framework of Mount Etna. Mem Soc Geol Ital 23:125–158

    Google Scholar 

  • Luce D, Bugel I, Goldberg P, Goldberg M, Salomon C, Billon-Galland MA, Nicolau J, Quénel P, Fevotte J, Brochard P (2000) Environmental exposure to tremolite and respiratory cancer in New Caledonia: a case-control study. Am J Epidemiol 151:259–65

    Google Scholar 

  • Luo S, Liu X, Tsai SP, Wen CP (2003) Asbestos related diseases from environmental exposure to crocidolite in Da-yao, China. I. Review of exposure and epidemiological data. Occup Environ Med 60:35–42

    Google Scholar 

  • Mastrantonio M, Belli S, Binazzi A, Carboni M, Comba P, Fusco P, Grignoli M, Iavarone I, Martuzzi M, Nesti M, Trinca S, Uccelli R (2002) La mortalità per tumore maligno della pleura nei comuni italiani, 1988–1997. Rapporti ISTISAN 02/12, ISSN 1123-3117

  • McConnochie K, Simonato L, Mavrides P, Christofides P, Mitha R, Griffiths DM, Wagner JC (1989) Mesothelioma in Cyprus. IARC Sci Publ 90:411–419

    Google Scholar 

  • Metintas M, Özdemir N, Hillerdal G et al (1999) Environmental asbestos exposure and malignant pleural mesothelioma. Respir Med 93:349–345

    Google Scholar 

  • Mirabelli D, Cadum E (2002) Mortality from pleural and peritoneal malignancies in the Upper Susa Valley. Epidemiol Prev 26:284–286

    Google Scholar 

  • Narcisi B (1994) Tefracronologia in aree non vulcaniche: principi, metodi di indagine e stato dell’arte nel contesto italiano. Il Quaternario 7(2):545–554

    Google Scholar 

  • Paoletti L, Batisti D, Bruno C, Di Paola M, Gianfagna A, Mastrantonio M, Nesti M, Comba P (2000) Unusually high incidence of malignant pleural mesothelioma in a town of eastern Sicily: an epidemiological and environmental study. Arch Environ Health 55:392–398

    Google Scholar 

  • Pasetto R, Bruni B, Bruno C, D’antona C, De Nardo P, Di Maria G, Di Stefano R, Fiorentini C, Gianfagna A, Marconi A, Paoletti L, Putzu MG, Soffritti M, Comba P (2004) Problematiche sanitarie della fibra anfibolica di Biancavilla: aspetti epidemiologici, clinici e sperimentali. Not Ist Super Sanità 17(1):8–12

    Google Scholar 

  • Rapisarda V, Duscio D, Fenga C, Proietti L, Rapisarda L, Lombardo M, Valentino M (2004) Fluoro-edenite nel territorio di Biancavilla: studio preliminare di un bioindicatore. Atti 22° Congresso AIDII, Palermo 16–18 Giugno, pp 171–174

  • Romano R (1982) Succession of the volcanic activity in the Etnean area. In: Romano R (ed) Mount Etna Volcano. A review of the recent earth science studies. Mem Soc Geol Ital 23:27–48

    Google Scholar 

  • Sakellariou K, Malamou-Mitsi V, Haritou A, Koumpaniou C, Stachouli C, Dimoliatis ID, Constantopoulos SH (1996) Malignant pleural mesothelioma from non-occupational asbestos exposure in Metsovo (north-west Greece): slow end of an epidemic? Eur Respir J 9:1206–1210

    Google Scholar 

  • Sichletidis I, Daskalopoulou E, Tsarou V, Pnevmatikos I, Chloros D, Vamvalis C (1992) Five cases of pleural mesothelioma with endemic pleural calcifications in a rural area in Greece. Med Lav 83:326–329

    Google Scholar 

  • Tanguy JC (1980) L’Etna: étude pétrologique et paléomagnétique. Implications volcanologiques. Thèse d’Etat, Université P et M Curie, Paris, 618 pp

  • Temel A, Gündogdu MN (1996) Zeolite occurrences and the erionite-mesothelioma relationship in Cappadocia, Central Anatolia, Turkey. Mineralium Deposita 31:539–547

    Google Scholar 

  • Viallat JR, Boutin C, Steinbauer J, Gaudichet A, Dufour G (1991) Pleural effects of environmental asbestos pollution in Corsica. Ann N Y Acad Sci 643:438–443

    Google Scholar 

  • Wagner JC, Sleggs CA, Marchand P (1960) Diffuse pleural mesothelioma and asbestos exposure in the North Western Cape Province. Br J Ind Med 17:260–271

    Google Scholar 

  • Zeren EH, Gümürdülü D, Roggli VL, Tuncer I, Zorludemir S, Erkisi M (2000) Environmental malignant mesothelioma in southern Anatolia: a study of fifty cases. Environ Health Perspect 108:1047–1050

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Prof. Raffaello Trigila of the Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Roma “La Sapienza”, who kindly provided the aerial photographs of the Biancavilla area. U.K. Vetter, BGR Hannover, improved the manuscript. This work was funded by the MIUR (Ministero dell’Istruzione, Università e Ricerca) of Italy.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Roma ≪La Sapienza≫, P.le A. Moro, 1 00100, Rome, Italy

    F. Burragato, D. M. Palladino, S. Simei & A. Gianfagna

  2. Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299 00161, Rome, Italy

    P. Comba, L. Paoletti & R. Pasetto

  3. DITS—Area di Geodesia e Geomatica, Università degli Studi di Roma ≪La Sapienza≫, Via Eudossiana, 18 00184, Rome, Italy

    V. Baiocchi

Authors
  1. F. Burragato
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P. Comba
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. V. Baiocchi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. D. M. Palladino
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. S. Simei
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. A. Gianfagna
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. L. Paoletti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. R. Pasetto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to V. Baiocchi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Burragato, F., Comba, P., Baiocchi, V. et al. Geo-volcanological, mineralogical and environmental aspects of quarry materials related to pleural neoplasm in the area of Biancavilla, Mount Etna (Eastern Sicily, Italy). Environ Geol 47, 855–868 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-004-1217-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-004-1217-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation