In this Nov. 18, 2013 photo, rubbish is piled up on the edge of cultivated land near Caivano, in the surroundings of Naples, southern Italy. (AP)
An Italian parliament-mandated health survey has confirmed higher-than-normal incidents of death and cancer among residents in and around Naples, thanks to decades of toxic waste dumping by the local Camorra mob.
The report by the National Institute of Health found "critical" rates of babies in the provinces of Naples and Caserta being hospitalized in the first year of life for "excessive" instances of tumors, especially of the central nervous system.
The report, which updated an initial 2014 one, blamed the higher-than-expected rates on "confirmed or suspected exposure to a combination of environmental pollutants that can be emitted from illegal dump sites of dangerous waste or the uncontrolled burning of such waste."
Residents have long complained about adverse health effects from the dumping, which has poisoned underground wells that irrigate farmland.