Terra Mater 
Activist mothers in the most polluted area in Europe

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Would you raise your children in the most polluted area in Europe?

 

Several mothers who live in the Po Valley, in Northern Italy, which, according to The Lancet (2021), has that unenviable title, have decided to answer this question. Every day they fight for the protection of the place where their children will grow up, and they have formed a series of environmental groups. They are protesting against groundwater pollution by PFOA (Perfluorooctanoic acid) and PFAS (Polyfluorinated alkyl substances), which cause male infertility and thyroid cancer (more than 400,000 cases), they report the presence of dioxins and PCBs (Polychlorinated biphenyls) in children’s playgrounds and schools (where levels are 16 times more than the limit), they oppose the creation of landfills and they report the incidence of respiratory diseases in children (which are up by 28% in the area around Calcinato). These women are often ignored by local government authorities and are considered a nuisance by the rest of the community, but they have obtained significant results and are helping to build a better future for their children.