Palermo asks not to eat meat and eggs in the presence of dioxins after a fire

The city council of Palermo, in Sicily, southern Italy, has issued an ordinance this Sunday in which it advises not to eat in the next 15 days eggs and meat that come from the Bellocampo area, where the fire of a huge landfill has caused the presence of dioxins in the atmosphere.

The ordinance also requires that fruits and vegetables grown in an area of 4 kilometers from the Bellolampo landfill be washed very well, as well as peel the fruit.

This measure has been issued after the Regional Environment Agency (ARPA) detected the presence of dioxins in the samples taken in the hours after the fire at the landfill.

According to the ordinance, it is necessary to avoid “taking food of animal origin (meat, eggs, dairy products) originating from the affected area and produced after July 24 and avoid using feed and fodder from the affected area, if exposed to possible contamination.

In addition, the municipality establishes that “all street surfaces and public and private open spaces must be subject to careful washing.”

Since the beginning of the emergency, firefighters have been collecting samples for the detection of toxic substances in order to identify possible elements dangerous to health.