#seveso

The Seveso disaster, which occurred on July 10, 1976, in Seveso, Italy, stands as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of industrial accidents involving highly toxic substances. The release of dioxin, specifically 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), from a chemical plant contaminated a vast area, causing chloracne and other severe health problems in the exposed population. This incident not only highlighted the extreme toxicity of dioxins but also spurred significant changes in industrial safety regulations and environmental awareness worldwide. #forensictoxicology #sevesodisaster #forensicscience #crimesceneinvestigation #TCDD

Continue reading The Seveso Disaster: A Forensic Perspective on Dioxin Toxicity

Well. Chernobyl has been a part of my life since I was eight. Personally, I wish it were taught in schools. 

I do what I can to raise awareness on cultural and ecological issues whenever I’m with kids. I explain to them why the burning of Notre Dame de Paris was a major disaster and, no matter what memes and angry slacktivists say, preserving historical monuments is just as important as preserving human lives. This is why I lend them copies of Disney’s film “Hunchback of Notre Dame” and read them abridged versions of Hugo’s novel, to the point that they bring back drawings of the Eiffel tower, hand-written excerpts of “Hunchback” books they found in kindergarten  and copies of Hugo’s novel their moms gave them.

I also tell them why wolves are not “big and bad” and why they should be protected, I talk about how people shouldn’t abandon their dogs or why we should adopt strays instead of buying pets.

But those are simpler things. Chernobyl is not simple.

I hope, when I meet little kids again, I can talk to them about Chernobyl in a not-so-horrifying-way. But what is there to say? Human error? Neglectful governments? Millions of innocent people that are mere numbers to people in power? Where do I start?

Teachers don’t usually talk about those dangerous things, they don’t have the time, or they fear the parents’ reactions to their “alarmism”. It makes sense, nobody wants to scare kids with descriptions of deformed Chernobyl children. It gives them nightmares. But kids should know in advance and not expect to get all their education from tv. 

As I said in my “Hashimoto” post, Chernobyl being the reason for my thyroid problems was something I realized ever since I was shown that my TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) test results varied from month to month. It was inevitable that it would settle on a number above normal, and that’s when I’d start getting T4 pills for the rest of my life. I had been warned because that’s what Hashimoto does. My doctor and I tried to postpone the pill for as long as we could. Then one day I had to leave home for work for months on end, not knowing if I would ever come back to my city. That turned my then happy relationship into a long-distance one. Had I known what the stress, anger and pain would do to my thyroid I would have broken up with the bastard from the get go lol. See, it was by the end of that year that I started taking the pill because I had voluntarily ruined my already malfunctioning thyroid. So, lesson learned? Don’t stress over some bastard who cries and guilt trips you whenever you’re apart just to fall out of love with you in a few years. He’s not worth your thyroid.

And yeah, Chernobyl was always a big thing here. Somehow I understood why radiation is lethal even if I couldn’t see it. So many things we cannot see are lethal.

Devilish coincidence: a month before I even saw the “Chernobyl” trailer I was checking on an old chest left on the sidewalk with ‘80s Christmas ornaments in it. At the bottom there was this yellowed newspaper cover and guess what: it was all about Chernobyl. Two pages all in all, front and back cover, and every inch of it was covered with Chernobyl news. The date was May 14th 1986.

BIG ANTI-NUCLEAR DEMONSTRATIONS IN ATHENS.

High radiation levels in our country again. 

THINGS ARE BAD.

School trips are banned. 

Contaminated fish. 

Our economy is on the brink of disaster because of the decline in tourism. 

Unsold products. 

It is the U.S.A and U.S.S.R’s fault. 

Divine punishment. 

The worst kind of journalism of course but it gives you an idea of our panic back then.

On the back cover there’s even a funny poem on radiation, people panicking and having tests to measure the “milliroentgen” in their bodies and the only cure to their stress being super market raids.

Of course Chernobyl was on the news on May 6th. Ten whole days after the disaster.

I grew up with my father telling me stories of Greek truck drivers driving past Chernobyl when it happened and dying of cancer some months later. 

However his one recurring story was about the pilots who flew over the open reactor to drop sand and boron and the firefighters who died soon after, only to be buried in lead and cement (”that’s how radioactive their bodies were”). Horror stories, stories about bravery and self-sacrifice that I never bothered googling. 

Until THIS.

HBO’s “Chernobyl” was too important for me to miss and I couldn’t believe an American production company was paying money to tell a story that influenced Europe so much.

Monsieur le Président,

Le 26 septembre dernier un accident s’est produit à l’usine de l’entreprise Lubrizol à Rouen. Ce site est classé Seveso. Cet accident industriel est probablement l’un des plus grave depuis de nombreuses années. La présence, pendant l’incendie d’une fumée noire longue de 22 kilomètres et les retombées de suie qui ont eu lieu ensuite inquiètent légitimement les habitants des régions proches. Certains se sont indignés de la communication des pouvoirs publics jugée trop minimale. Par ailleurs, l’occurence d’incidents dans le passé proche sur ce site très surveillé interroge.