11-10-2010, 10:30 AM
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Join Date: May 2009
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Mesothelioma ravages village in Turkey region of Cappadocia
The village of Tuzkoy in Turkey's central region of Cappadocia is suffering from a severe lung cancer epidemic over generations which lead authorities to the decision of settling its inhabitants.
The so-called "cancer-city" of Tuzkoy and its surrounding has been marked by heavy volcano eruptions millions of years ago which still define the current landscape features. Since the village has been established, the most common cause of the villagers' deaths - at least for 50% of them - has been lung cancer.
Already in the 70s, researchers discovered a relationship between erionite, that can be traced in many rock formations surrounding the town, and the over average cancer rates among the inhabitants.
The rock type erionite is soft and easy to break. Therefore the whole village is exposed to the daily inhaling of the dangerous particles of the stone. A researcher reports: "Then they breathe in the fibres. Even if a child born in the village leaves during childhood, he cannot run away from mesothelioma. It is a horrible disease, causing great pain."
The government now faces the challenge to convince the villagers about the correlation between the stone and the numerous cancer deaths as many Tuzkoy citizens refuse to leave.
Citizens decide to stay due to financial reasons. Only the villagers who owned property in Tuzkoy can request a place in the new village that only provides space for some community members.
One villager states: "I plan to go back to Ankara, to the prime minister himself if need be, and explain that the whole of Tuzkoy should be declared a disaster zone, so that more funds can be provided to make sure everybody moves".
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Source: Turkey: Resettlement of ?Cancer Village | TopNews New Zealand
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