[Mortality (1995-2000) and hospital admissions (2001-2003) in the industrial area of Gela].

Aims: the area of Gela (Sicily Italy) has been included by the Italian national law among the "areas of environmental concern", due to several industrial plants located in the area: a refinery, a petrolchemical plant and an industrial waste disposal. The aim of the study was to evaluate the health of residents in the area, through the analysis of the mortality registry and the hospital discharge records.

Design: cause and gender specific indirect Standardized Mortality (1995-2000) and Morbidity (2001-2003) Ratios were computed, with 95% confidence intervals, using the population of surrounding municipalities as reference.

Results: increases of malignant neoplasm of stomach, colon rectum, larynx, lung, bladder and non Hodgkin lymphoma were observed in the area, both in men and women. Moreover, an increased frequency of hospital admissions for cardiovascular diseases and for respiratory diseases (acute and chronic diseases, asthma both among adults and among children) were observed. Excesses of pneumoconiosis among men and of renal diseases among women were also present.

Conclusion: the excesses in mortality and morbidity observed in this study are consistent with previous findings and might partly be explained by occupational exposures. However, the excesses found among women suggest a possible role of environmental pollutants.