The Haifa-Akko Syndrome

Squared: Facts and Denial

J. KrikunCoalition Public health

Technological Advance vs. Public Health:The Precautionary Principle

Symposium, Tel Aviv UniversityJune 4 2008

Publications by Researchers in Israel Demonstrated:

1.Differential cancer morbidity2.Differential major cause mortality: heart

disease and stroke. ON A GEOGRAPHIC BASIS

3.The Haifa and Akko subdistricts were especially noted for their extremely high rates of the above.

4.These results were evident from the early 1980’s .

Characteristics of the Haifa-Akko

subdistricts:1.From the 1930’s onwards the above districts were the major centers

of the heavy industry under the British mandate and the state of Israel.

2.These industries were noted by extremely heavy pollution pressure on the environment which impacted on all four major matrices:

a.Airb.Waterc.Soil

d.MarineWith accompanying penetration into the human food chain

Among the Pollutants: Most known carcinogens and carcinogen families including:

Petrochemical productionFormaldehyde

Vinyl Chloride and Ethylene Di-ChlorideDioxins and furans

PCB’sPAH’s

Besides the above, all the metal carcinogens:As,Cd,CrVI,Ni

In Addition to the Above, Extremely

Large Amounts of:

Among others, the following were released:

Lead

Manganese

Vanadium

Antimony

Mercury

Releases of These Chemicals Were From:ONE TO FOUR ORDERS MAGNITUDE

greater than what available technology enabled and what the law in Israel called for

This meant that some factories emitted carcinogens to the air measured in

thousands of tons per year .

Others operated with no pollution control equipment whatsoever .

In July 2001 a publication by the MOH was released which showed the differential cancer rates on a geographic basis in Israel.

Immediately various attempts were proposed to explain the phenomenon.

1.The proportion of the immigrants arriving from the Chernobyl area was greater in the Haifa area than the rest of Israel.

2.Proportion of senior citizens in Haifa are greater.

3.Higher proportion of Ashkenazi origin in population .

CANCER MORBIDITY AT FOUR SITES IN FOUR GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS OF ISRAEL IN COMPARISON

TO COUNTRY AVERAGE-JEWS,1981- 8226

-153

-24

18-3-4

-38

26-6-5

-19

12-15-4

-17

3

-4 -6 -5

-19

26

-15

-24

18

-3

-38

26

12

-15

-4

-17

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

1

COLON AND RECTAL CANCER

BREAST CANCER

JERUSALEMBE'ER SHEBA

TEL AVIV HAIFASIG.- AA

SOURCE:GINSBERG & TULCHINSKY,1992

TOTALLYMPHOMA

AGE STANDARDIZED INCIDENCE RATE OF MALIGNANT DISEASES PER 100,000 IN ISRAEL BY

DISTRICTS,1984-1998, FEMALES

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

(1984-86) (1987-89) (1990-92) (1993-95) (1996-98)

HAIFA

TEL AVIV

JERUSALEM

AGE STANDARDIZED INCIDENCE RATES OF MALIGNANT DISEASES PER 100,000 IN ISRAEL

BY DISTRICTS ,1984-1998,MALES

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

(1984-86) (1987-89) (1990-92) (1993-95) (1996-98)

HAIFA

TEL AVIV

JERUSALEM

COMPARATI VE STANDARDI ZED MORTALI TY RATI OS DUE TO CARDI OVASCULAR DI SEASE OF J EWS DURI NG THREE TI ME PERI ODS, I N THREE DI STRI CTS: J ERUSALEM, TEL AVI V, HAI FA (1)

DISTRICT 1969-78 1983-86 1987-94JERUSALEM 93 c 81 c 91 d

TEL AVIV 97 c 99 101HAIFA 101 112 c 117 d

1- COUNTRY= 100 c- P < 0.001 d- P < 0.0001

Map Presentation of Industries in Relation to

Four Towns and Agricultural Settlements

THE DENIAL:

The initial results of the above were published primarily in english and made no or little impact

on the Israeli public.

The results were known to the MOH with no action to study the matter although promises

were made.As of today, the only epidemiological study undertaken was sponsored by one of the

biggest polluters and was conducted by one of the major deniers .

Of course:the phenomenon was:

1.Evident before Chernobyl.

2 .All the results were age adjusted.

3 .Further analysis showed no difference between Ashkenazi, non Ashkenazi and native Israelis.

We know now that due to lack of pertinent regulatory status and enforcement:

1.Dishonesty on the part of some engineering companies was the order of the day especially with regard to pollution monitoring status.

2.Others used corrupted data to produce risk analysis that in time proved tragically false.

3 .An orchestrated denial agenda was in place some 20 years ago, including the use of SLAPP.*

4.The musicians were some researchers in academic institutions, sectors in relevant government ministries, leadership in municipal bodies; the conductors, the most

flagrant polluters .

*Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation

Lessons for the day: May 29,2008,Yedioth Ahronoth

“Livni-39%; Mofaz-25%

Kadima to the primaries .

Olmert and the investigators will go to the US.

The Government against the Clean Air Act”.

Tragically, given the political reality and other factors:

The environmental health in given areas of Israel is of secondary importance .

It seems to matter to those who see the reality of belching chimneys, uncontrolled fires and a chemical haze, and smell the stench of uncontrolled chemical reactions, often from factories whose owners

reside far from Israel, never mind Haifa and Akko.

Master thesis analyzing the agenda denial of Haifa-Akko

האוניברסיטה העברית בירושלים•המאבק על הגדרת המציאות:•

תחלואה, תמותה וזיהום תעשייתי במפרץ חיפה•עבודת גמר בפורמט מאמר מדעי לתואר מוסמך •

במדיניות ציבוריתבהדרכת פרופסור דוד דרי•

מגיש:•אהוד סגל•

2006ארבעה עשר בדצמבר •