Turkey’s Selikoff

Like attacks on science, the harassment of a scientist is not a recent phenomenon. When Dr. Irving Selikoff began to publicize his now famous research on the health effects of asbestos in 1964, the industry started a multiyear attack on him and his research. To his credit, Dr. Selikoff endured this sustained industry-generated harassment, and the scientific truth ultimately prevailed. While asbestos is still being exported from and used in some countries, credible scientists agree on its devastating health effects. Now, another scientist in Turkey is not only experiencing similar harassment, but also facing prison for informing people about air pollution and its serious consequences on health. Kocaeli province is the second most important industry-intensive zone in Turkey. The town of Dilovası has a high concentration of industrial enterprises that bring with them serious environmental and health problems. As a physician aware of his social responsibility, Prof. Onur Hamzaoglu investigated the causes of mortality in this area. Prof. Hamzaoglu is a scientist and Chair of the Public Health Department at Kocaeli University Faculty of Medicine, whose research addresses the serious environmental and health problems that have been encountered in Kocaeli region for many years. He and his colleagues have published very important results over the last decade. Prof. Hamzaoglu and his colleagues found that the risk of death due to cancer for those living in the Dilovası area for longer than 10 years is 4.4 times greater than others residing there for shorter periods, independent from factors such as age and smoking. After the first study on mortality due to cancer, Hamzaoglu et al. shared the results with scientists and local governors of the state. During that time, the topic received much interest. In 2006, the Turkish Grand National Assembly formed a commission to investigate the issue. Prof. Hamzaoglu presented his results and gave his opinion to the committee. The committee report, which was discussed in February 2007 at the National Assembly, recommended precluding further expansion of the industrial zone, modernizing old technologies in the existing factories, and other remedies meant to protect health. This report was shared with the public. Meanwhile, the Cancer Control Department of the Ministry of Health asked the Public Health Department of the School of Medicine, Kocaeli University, to conduct a new study on the causes of mortality in the Dilovası area. The findings of this study, which was conducted by Prof. Hamzaoglu and colleagues, along with the Kocaeli Provincial Health Directorate, also showed that 30.4 of 100 deaths occurring in Dilovası in the period 2000–2006 were caused by cancer. These findings were officially shared with the university, provincial bodies and the Ministry of Health. In spite of all these findings, no measures were taken for improvement and enterprises in the region continued to increase their capacity. Due to this inaction, Prof. Hamzaoglu made a plan for a new study. In 2009, a new initiative was launched with faculty members from the departments of Child Health and Diseases and Medical Genetics of the School of Medicine, Kocaeli University and the financial support of the University. This new project sought to compare air pollution in Dilovası, where there is serious environmental pollution, to the Kandıra district of the same province where there is almost no industrial activity. The researchers also planned to monitor healthy pregnant women volunteers living in both areas throughout their pregnancy, and measure heavy metals in colostrum and meconium samples after birth. In the final part of the project, newborns would be monitored until 18 months. The project was planned to be completed within 36 months. The study conducted in the Dilovası and Kandıra districts found heavy metals in the colostrum of Dilovası lactating women over limit values set by the World Health Organization. The pollution had its impact on the foetus as well: lab analysis showed the existence of heavy metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic and aluminium in meconium of newborns. All laboratory analysis was made in the labs of The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey. Correspondence to: C. Terzi, Dokuz Eylul University, Medical Faculty, Dept. of Surgery, Inciralti, Izmir, Turkey. Email: cem.terzi@deu. edu.tr