Is the Lajes Base causing a cancer outbreak? Study finds lead in skeletons in the area

Previous studies on the growth of cancer in Praia da Vitória ended up not progressing due to obstacles in accessing the data or fears that the results would put the relationship with Americans at risk.

Research carried out at the University of Coimbra identified significantly higher concentrations of heavy metals in skeletons of ancient inhabitants of Praia da Vitória, on Terceira Island. The discovery is reinforcing suspicions that the cause will be prolonged exposure to environmental contamination caused by the Lajes Base.

It is part of the doctoral thesis in Forensic Anthropology of Felix Rodrigues and you can pave the way for new investigations on the possible relationship between pollution and the incidence of oncological diseases in the region.

The analysis compared mortal remains of individuals from Praia da Vitória with skeletons from Angra do Heroísmo, which is 23 kilometers from the base, and concluded that the first have higher levels of 10 metalsincluding cadmium, chromium, molybdenum and lead.

According to the researcher, average lead concentrations reach 18 parts per million (ppm) in Praia da Vitória, compared to 12 ppm in Angra do Heroísmo. Despite considering the results still provisional, Félix Rodrigues emphasizes that they are compatible with environmental exposure to contaminants already identified in the area’s soils and aquifers. “It is difficult to interpret these results, as there are no similar studies”, he tells .

The work establishes, for the first time, a link between the presence of heavy metals detected in the environment and their accumulation in human bones. However, researchers warn that it is not yet possible to demonstrate a direct cause and effect relationship between this exposure and the development of diseases such as cancer,

“If the presence of heavy metals comes from contamination, it is a deep discussion that needs to be carried out in the long term. Even though the bodies of the deceased can give us some information, they do not speak. But living people talk. This was an investigation that could be carried out”, argues Félix Rodrigues.

Over the years, residents, healthcare professionals and former base workers have reported a high number of cancer cases in Praia da Vitória, mainly in areas close to old fuel tanks, with one road even being nicknamed the “road of death” due to the incidence of the disease.

Some projects aimed at studying suspicions ended up not moving forward due to difficulty in accessing official data and alleged institutional obstacles. Noberto Messiasa nurse born in Praia da Vitória who has also been treated for two cancers, was the coordinator of one of the studies that remained in the drawer. “The university did not want the study to be completed because it had a partnership with a university in Massachusetts and we were putting the Americans at risk”, he tells Expresso.

Despite the lack of conclusive scientific evidence on the impact of contamination on public health, the Regional Government of the Azores is funding the research that gave rise to these results. The Ministry of Defense also recognizes that fuel spills that occurred in the past caused localized contamination of soil and groundwater, adding that environmental monitoring and mitigation actions continue to be carried out.