Italian "Triangle of death" linked to waste crisis.

The environmental waste problem in southern Italy is now reaching epic proportions and the problem has been linked to increasing rates of cancer. At the end of June, 2004, protestors blocked the rail links between northern and southern Italy, complaining about the re-opening of a previously condemned rubbish dump. The dump was brought back into service after household waste built up in the streets of the Campania region, causing schools to close because of the public-health risks. The region around Salerno and Naples produces more rubbish than the landfills and incinerators in the region can cope with, and organised crime in Italy has been taking advantage and turning illegal waste dumping into a lucrative business for years. Kathryn Senior and Alfredo Mazza explore the possible effect on cancer mortality in the region around the town of Nola.