Do humans take good care of their offspring as animals do horizontal ellipsis ! the Lavreotiki and Lavrion 'sagas', Hellenic Republic-Part 2: hazard and risk assessment and remediation

A number of geochemical and epidemiological studies verified that the Lavrion urban and suburban area is highly contaminated and has affected to a variable degree the health of the inhabitants, presented in the first part of review on the Lavrion 'sagas'. In the second part of this review, emphasis is given to the challenge environmental scientists faced in communicating the scientific results to environmental managers and the public and state officials in order for them to understand the benefits of prioritising public health over wealth. Imminent remediation actions have been developed and proposed in order to secure a healthier life for the local population. The proposed integrated environmental management scheme was based on the findings of hazard and health risk assessment. The aim was not only to remediate the contaminated land, but also to inform the local population and authorities regarding the environmental hazards that they were facing, and the necessary safety measures that should be taken. However, the proposed lifestyle changes were viewed with scepticism from all stakeholders. This paper seeks to provide some answers to questions related to the obstacles that have prevented the implementation of the proposed remediation plan on a large scale by reporting on risk perception and response to scientific evidence by the affected community in Lavrion. It also underlines the significant role of SEGH in linking applied environmental research with the public.

Automated summary

A number of studies have confirmed that the Lavrion urban and suburban area is heavily contaminated and has impacted the health of its inhabitants. Environmental scientists faced challenges in communicating their findings to environmental managers and the public. Proposed remediation actions aimed to improve the situation and inform the local population and authorities about environmental hazards and safety measures, but faced skepticism from stakeholders. This paper provides insight into the obstacles preventing the implementation of the proposed plan by examining risk perception and response from the affected community, highlighting the role of SEGH in connecting environmental research with the public.