Abstract
A number of geochemical and epidemiological studies verified that the Lavrion urban and suburban area is highly contaminated and has affected to a variable degree the health of the inhabitants, presented in the first part of review on the Lavrion ‘sagas’. In the second part of this review, emphasis is given to the challenge environmental scientists faced in communicating the scientific results to environmental managers and the public and state officials in order for them to understand the benefits of prioritising public health over wealth. Imminent remediation actions have been developed and proposed in order to secure a healthier life for the local population. The proposed integrated environmental management scheme was based on the findings of hazard and health risk assessment. The aim was not only to remediate the contaminated land, but also to inform the local population and authorities regarding the environmental hazards that they were facing, and the necessary safety measures that should be taken. However, the proposed lifestyle changes were viewed with scepticism from all stakeholders. This paper seeks to provide some answers to questions related to the obstacles that have prevented the implementation of the proposed remediation plan on a large scale by reporting on risk perception and response to scientific evidence by the affected community in Lavrion. It also underlines the significant role of SEGH in linking applied environmental research with the public.
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Acknowledgements
The results of the two projects carried out in Lavrion and Aghios Constantinos and the Lavreotiki peninsula by the Institute of Geology and Mineral Exploration (presently Hellenic Survey of Geology and Mineral Exploration) were co-financed by the Attiki Region from the European Commission Structural Funds programme and the Hellenic Ministry of Industry and Energy (presently the Ministry of Development) for the national contribution. The project of ‘Soil Rehabilitation in the Municipality of Lavrion’ was co-financed by the European Commission’s LIFE programme 93/GR/A14/GR/4576 and the Hellenic State. All scientists and supporting staff are thanked for their work input, without which the completion of these projects would have not been possible. Golden Software is thanked for the greatly reduced annual software maintenance licence for SurferTM v.20, which was used for plotting all maps.
Funding
The project of ‘Soil Rehabilitation in the Municipality of Lavrion’ was co-financed by the European Commission’s LIFE programme 93/GR/A14/GR/4576 and the Hellenic State.
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Paraskevi-Maria KOURGIA and Zacharenia KYPRITIDOU cooperated in the writing of the manuscript, while Ariadne ARGYRAKI and Alecos DEMETRIADES acted as mentors and refined the manuscript.
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Kourgia, PM., Kypritidou, Z., Argyraki, A. et al. Do humans take good care of their offspring as animals do…! the Lavreotiki and Lavrion ‘sagas’, Hellenic Republic–Part 2: hazard and risk assessment and remediation. Environ Geochem Health 45, 1145–1152 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-021-01158-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-021-01158-9