Community Concern about the Health Effects of Pollutants: Risk Perception in an Italian Geothermal Area

Elisa Bustaffa, Olivia Curzio (), Fabrizio Bianchi, Fabrizio Minichilli, Daniela Nuvolone, Davide Petri, Giorgia Stoppa, Fabio Voller and Liliana Cori
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Elisa Bustaffa: Unit of Environmental Epidemiology and Disease Registries, Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, Via Moruzzi 1, 56123 Pisa, Italy
Olivia Curzio: Unit of Environmental Epidemiology and Disease Registries, Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, Via Moruzzi 1, 56123 Pisa, Italy
Fabrizio Bianchi: Unit of Environmental Epidemiology and Disease Registries, Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, Via Moruzzi 1, 56123 Pisa, Italy
Fabrizio Minichilli: Unit of Environmental Epidemiology and Disease Registries, Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, Via Moruzzi 1, 56123 Pisa, Italy
Daniela Nuvolone: Unit of Epidemiology, Regional Health Agency of Tuscany, Via Pietro Dazzi 1, 50141 Florence, Italy
Davide Petri: Unit of Epidemiology, Regional Health Agency of Tuscany, Via Pietro Dazzi 1, 50141 Florence, Italy
Giorgia Stoppa: Unit of Epidemiology, Regional Health Agency of Tuscany, Via Pietro Dazzi 1, 50141 Florence, Italy
Fabio Voller: Unit of Epidemiology, Regional Health Agency of Tuscany, Via Pietro Dazzi 1, 50141 Florence, Italy
Liliana Cori: Unit of Environmental Epidemiology and Disease Registries, Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, Via Moruzzi 1, 56123 Pisa, Italy

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 21, 1-17

Abstract: Geothermal fluids for electricity and heat production have long been exploited in the Mt. Amiata area (Tuscany, Italy). Public concern about the health impact of geothermal plants has been present from the outset. Several factors influence the way people perceive risk; therefore, the objective of the present research is to develop indicators of risk perception and assess indices differences in relation to some questionnaire variables. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the Amiata area on 2029 subjects aged 18–77. From the questionnaire section about risk perception from environmental hazards, four indicators were developed and analysed. A total of 64% of the subjects considered the environmental situation to be acceptable or excellent, 32% serious but reversible, and 4% serious and irreversible; as the values of the various perception indicators increased, an upward trend was observed in the averages. Risk perception was higher among women and young people, and was associated with higher education. Those who smelled bad odours in their surroundings reported higher risk perception. Furthermore, risk perception was higher in four municipalities. The results represent the basis for further investigations to analyse the link among risk perception indicators, exposure parameters, and health status.

Keywords: geothermal area; risk perception; cross-sectional study; risk communication; environmental monitoring (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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