Dr. Onur Hamzaoğlu, Head of Department of Public Health in Kocaeli University, who is  doing research  in Dilovası about  industrialization which give harm to the environment and  public health, said that;’’ The environmental pollution threatens public health. We saw that the residents in Dilovası are 4.5 times closer to the cancer. Against human and nature, industry not be.’’

Rojdan AKSOY / Berfin YÜCE – JINHA

KOCAELİ-    Dr. Onur Hamzaoğlu, Head of Department of Public Health  in Kocaeli University, who is  doing research  in Dilovası about  industrialization which give harm to the environment and  public health, said that;’’ The environmental pollution threatens public health. We saw that the residents in Dilovası are 4.5 times closer to the cancer. Against human and nature, industry not be.’’

Dilovası which is a township tied to Gebze district in Kocaeli, has approximately 50 thousand inhabitants.After 1970 it was preferred by enterprises as it is close to Istanbul and it has become a region of immigration from all parts of the country with industrial enterprises which are increasing in number every day .After the results of these developments, this region was declared  as industrial zone by the Ministry of industry. With the  result of highly  increasing in  industrial enterprises and and settlements  the nature started to give alarm in Dilovası. Many factories,  majority of which  make production with oil,chemical, flammable and explosive materials,have been given harm to nature thus to public health. We talked with Prof. Dr. Onur Hamzaoğlu,Head of Department of Public Health, doing research on this subject.

 - How did your studies in Dilovası started? Could you share you get as a result of the findings of this researches?

 As being  universty of this city we worked on the avoidable problems in this city. Between 2000 and 2012 we applied to the Kocaeli Chamber of Industry  as we know that if we had the knowledge of the raw materials used by factories and the materials that  they produced we could reveal the dangers of industry. Dealing with the whole city was impossible  with  our power of people as well as with our facilities. We chose geograpy of Dilovası as an example for Kocaeli’s and Turkey's Industrial Basin. As it was drawn attention of everyone in the early 2000s we determined it as medical field and we started to our works.

- Could you share the contents of the works you've done?

 With the results of negotiations with Mayor of that period we wanted  from him to give us the records.  We got the information of the people who died in the early in 2004. Accordingly we found that 32 of 100 deaths are due to the cancer. As December 12, 2004 we shared it with our unıversty as well as the relevant authorities. This required us to do  research directly  in the field excluding the records.  By doing research at home it has brought the responsibility and obligation to determine causes of deaths. The researches we have done, We have met the closest relatives of the dead people with the questionnaire of World Health Organization. We asked the causes death of these people. we asked the pathological report from those who said the cause of death was cancer. At the same time , we asked cancer-related questions  ;were these people smoke or not,were they born in Dilovası,where were their birth place,what kind of stoves were they using at their homes. We understood from the analysises  that 33 of 100 deaths were caused by cancer,and those living there 10 years  or more has three times more risky than others. we saw that; it is not associated with smoking and over age  45. In other words ,  everyone is equally under the risk of cancer here ,we saw that the people  living in Dilovası are 4.5 times  closer to the cancer

- How did you explain  this work to the public?

We explained those works,which we have done, at the Congress of Public Health. We shared the information with public and Kocaeli Universty. in 2006, a Research Commitee was set up at Parliament. Many universities, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Environment, Institute of TUBITAK Marmara Research Center, scientists and bureaucrats have been invited to the commission. 29 problem and  29 solution offer were  proposed in Congress. Accordingly ;treatment plants in the industrial zone should be established as soon as possible, supervision should be intensified, factories should establish their own treatment facilities ,new factories should not be established  etc..were offered  .

 -  How does the environmental pollution affect public health?

In many cases it is certain that it will affect public health.There are many negative effects such as ;cancer , nervous system diseases,  mental retardation, the death of some babies in the womb. Heavy metals ,which led to these, iron, copper, steel should be in the human body. But , in this region they are  too much at human body. In addition, such metals like mercury, arsenic, lead, aluminum, should not  be  in the human body at all.

-Study in 2009,you ascertained heavy metals at breast milk and infant feces. Would you  convey  the contents of this research?

Clouds of dust in the air in Dilovası and Kandıra are above the EU standarts. Metals ,which we know stems from the industry,  3.5 times in Dilovası and  1.7 times in Kandıra  are more than  it should be. We studied on many mothers and children with the researches we had done  in Dilovası and Kandıra. This mothers were followed from the first months of their pregnancies to until birth. They also, were followed after birth. Examples were taken from the first milk of mothers and feces of babies.We encountered heavy metals which are in the dust cloud in air. We obviously saw its reflection to human life.

- After  explaining  your researches to public, the progress starting with Prof.Dr. Murat Tuncer’s  ,Charged at the Cancer Control Department as well as Rector of Hacettepe Universty ,. lodging you to Higher Education Council(YÖK) and after this you became defendant with the universty and with  Mayor of Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality. How do you evaluate this process.?

They think that  the results of the research involves an intent. We can say that all these problems stems from profit greed. As they did not agree with solution we needed to share this with other people. What is important is that  the people and nature what will be.  The Universty used its preference like how the employers and goverments used  their preferences. The most important elements  of costs are the damages given to environment. The people ,who bringing to light this, are  always shown as an enemy.

- Despite all this, what is your suggestion for solution?

 Like previous governments,today's goverment is looking into our eyes and says ' despite people ,industry will be'. It is not a solution to say '' if you do not like, march off  '' By evacuating Dilovası you can not get te solution. According to the measurements of TUBİTAK ;if there is air pollution in a place it will distributed to everywhere with meteorological movements. We reached to unpublished records of Provincial Health Directorate. There are 18 percent of the deaths due to cancer across the province; in Golcük 21 percent of deaths,in Gebze 22 percent of deaths, in Derince 21 percent of deaths are due to the cancer. This show us that environmental and health problems ,due to the ındustry ,will not limited to just Dilovası. this problem is general.

The government is doing what will do. Despite to the Parliament , industrial zone increased its capacity. Despite the report of Environmental Impact Assessment (ÇED) it  was passed  to the activity. The establishment of  4th Demir-steel factory with the partnership of South Korea and Kibar Holding shows alone that the decision about our city. This is the goverment’s sollution offer. But  we say that we can find the solution in production. Less damaging raw materials and new technologies must be used. Wastes,,by making harmless ,can be released into the atmosphere and water. But all these are   cost. The bosses and the goverments are in collaboration.They  overlook  the given damages  to  nature and human.

 - Finally, Is there something you want to say?

By organizing we have to show that this is not fate. This is an  economic justification, and the effects of it to environment and human  is known. Altough  there are alternatives ,it is preffered , and, we must show that there are economic benefits. Political individuals, the dissidents of society should put the job in front of them. We will put up against the bosses who are the representative of goverment. Social opposition in the world and in Turkey is rising. Political tensions  proof this. With Kurds, Turks, Circassians, communist, socialist, social democratics ; you can not change it as long as you do not give the fight for goverment  because you detect it as  fate. The matter is that; we are the ones who will change this and the goverment should be changed. We can solve this problem together with the people  who are worry about human, brotherhood and nature.

 Photograph: Rojdan AKSOY / Berfin YÜCE

Translator: Rojda GULÇİÇEK

(ra/by/hp/rg)