The Book “Formula of an Invisible Disaster” with Federico Bevilacqua
10.3.2023, 9:00 pm
Talk with
Federico Bevilacqua
On March 10 at 9:00 pm, Lab27 will host the preview presentation of the book “Formula of an Invisible Disaster” by Federico Bevilacqua (Penisola Edizioni, 2022).
The book offers a map to navigate the complex development of one of the most serious cases of water contamination in European history. In 2006, the "Perforce" campaign was launched in Europe to monitor major river basins. At the conclusion of this initiative, the Po River was identified as the most polluted river on the continent with regard to these substances. The data were alarming and prompted the authorities to trace the origins of the contamination.
Research identified one of the main sources in the province of Vicenza, within the industrial district of the Chiampo and Agno valleys, and isolated the PFAS synthesis and production plant operated by the company Miteni, located in the municipality of Trissino. This discovery was made in 2011. The findings were staggering: an affected area spanning the provinces of Vicenza, Verona, and Padua. The contamination impacted a groundwater aquifer comparable in size to Lake Garda and classified as the second largest in Europe.
Approximately 300,000 people were directly affected, with projections reaching around 800,000 due to the movement of the aquifer itself. In some wells, contamination levels were recorded that had never been observed anywhere else in the world, exceeding the regulatory limits in place at the time of discovery by more than 1,000,000%. This contamination was even more extensive than the case that, only a few years earlier, involved the DuPont corporation in the United States. The legal proceedings have since completed an initial phase, including a toxicological study conducted on 70,000 individuals and a major compensation claim led by attorney Robert Bilott—recipient of the Right Livelihood Award and the real-life inspiration behind Todd Haynes’s film “Dark Waters”.
The Book “Formula of an Invisible Disaster” with Federico Bevilacqua
10.3.2023, 9:00 pm
Talk with
Federico Bevilacqua
On March 10 at 9:00 pm, Lab27 will host the preview presentation of the book “Formula of an Invisible Disaster” by Federico Bevilacqua (Penisola Edizioni, 2022).
The book offers a map to navigate the complex development of one of the most serious cases of water contamination in European history. In 2006, the "Perforce" campaign was launched in Europe to monitor major river basins. At the conclusion of this initiative, the Po River was identified as the most polluted river on the continent with regard to these substances. The data were alarming and prompted the authorities to trace the origins of the contamination.
Research identified one of the main sources in the province of Vicenza, within the industrial district of the Chiampo and Agno valleys, and isolated the PFAS synthesis and production plant operated by the company Miteni, located in the municipality of Trissino. This discovery was made in 2011. The findings were staggering: an affected area spanning the provinces of Vicenza, Verona, and Padua. The contamination impacted a groundwater aquifer comparable in size to Lake Garda and classified as the second largest in Europe.
Approximately 300,000 people were directly affected, with projections reaching around 800,000 due to the movement of the aquifer itself. In some wells, contamination levels were recorded that had never been observed anywhere else in the world, exceeding the regulatory limits in place at the time of discovery by more than 1,000,000%. This contamination was even more extensive than the case that, only a few years earlier, involved the DuPont corporation in the United States. The legal proceedings have since completed an initial phase, including a toxicological study conducted on 70,000 individuals and a major compensation claim led by attorney Robert Bilott—recipient of the Right Livelihood Award and the real-life inspiration behind Todd Haynes’s film “Dark Waters”.
