Aspropyrgos factory fire ups risk of cancer

People living within a 2-kilometer radius of a recycling factory in Aspropyrgos that caught fire last year have a 13 percent increased risk of developing cancer, according to the coordinator of CROME-LIFE, the Cross-Mediterranean Environment and Health Network, whose findings were presented on Tuesday in Athens.

“We have conducted blood tests and calculated the amount of dioxins that passed through the bodies of the area’s residents,” Dimosthenis Sariyiannis told Kathimerini.

He also said a lot of children were exposed to carcinogens due to a lack of information.

The event featured international experts who presented findings regarding the health impact of exposure to environmental chemicals across the Mediterranean basin.