Lucrezia Ciotti After the Airola fire reignited , ARPAC inspections detected dioxin concentrations in Cervinara exceeding the reference level. The municipality therefore adopted precautionary measures, including closing schools and halting outdoor activities.
Airola fire: Dioxin levels exceeded reference levels in Cervinara
The consequences of the fire that broke out on August 31st in the industrial area of Airola, in the province of Benevento , and suddenly reignited at dawn on September 9th , remain under observation.
As reported by Ansa, the checks carried out by Arpac in the Cervinara area , in the province of Avellino, between 9 and 10 September detected an overall concentration of dioxins, furans and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls equal to 0,79 pg/Nm³ I-TEQ , higher than the reference value of 0,15 pg/Nm³ I-TEQ commonly used by the scientific community.
The situation was different in Airola , near the site of the fire, where between September 7 and 9 the figure stopped at 0,069 pg/Nm³ I-TEQ , therefore below the reference parameter. According to the Agency, the difference between the two areas is "plausibly attributable to the atmospheric circulation dynamics underway during the period examined . "
On the morning of September 9, the mobile laboratory near the fire also recorded an increase in PM10, PM2.5, and benzene , a phenomenon "presumably attributable to the reactivation of the fire ." However, the concentrations began to decrease as early as 10 a.m. that same day, with a further marked reduction on the evening of September 10. Overall, between September 8 and 10, no exceedances of the legal limits , where applicable, were detected for the pollutants analyzed by the mobile laboratory.
Dioxin alert following the Airola fire: closures and bans in Cervinara
In light of the preliminary findings, the Municipality of Cervinara has adopted a precautionary ordinance to limit the population's exposure. All schools of all levels will be closed on September 12 and 14, 2026 , while outdoor events, demonstrations, and sporting activities , including soccer matches and practices, are suspended until midnight on September 14 .
The administration also urges, especially children, the elderly, and those with respiratory conditions, to limit their time outdoors and to keep windows closed if they smell burning. Pending the definitive assessments of ARPAC and the recommendations of the Local Health Authority (ASL), precautionary measures have also been introduced regarding food and agriculture, with the suspension of harvesting and consumption of exposed fruit and vegetables , grazing, and the use of water from unprotected wells.
Airborne dioxin sampling will continue in the coming days, despite the firefighters reporting that the rekindled fire had been extinguished as early as the early afternoon of September 9th. Restrictions may be reassessed based on future results and official health guidelines.