Atlas of Contaminated Sites

Site of National Interest (SIN), Gela (Caltanissetta), Sicilia, Italy

Gela

Eni petrochemical complex and refinery on the southern coast of Sicily, in production since 1962, with oil centres, landfills and a phosphogypsum landfill. Soil and groundwater carry hydrocarbons, PAHs, BTEX, chlorinated solvents and metals; the site includes the Biviere di Gela nature reserve.

Status
Remediation under way
Area
795 ha on land, 4,583 ha in water1
Activity
since 1962
People affected
72,187 (2019)2
Media
soil, groundwater, sediment
Kind of site
petrochemicals, oil, chemical works, landfill, port
  1. Area. Extent given in the MASE fact sheet for the site (sheet dated 2021): 795 hectares on land and 4,583 hectares of sea in front of the plant.
  2. People affected. Residents of the municipality of Gela, 2019 census (the population studied by SENTIERI).

Contaminants

Metals

Organic compounds

Other inorganics

Status

Remediation under way

A Programme Agreement for containment and remediation was signed on 18 December 2020 by the Ministry and the Sicilian Region. Eni Rewind reports 225 million euro spent on its own areas as of 31 December 2025, with soil remediation under way since 2018. No up-to-date official percentage of remediated area was found.

Story

Construction of the Gela petrochemical plant dates from 1960 and the first units came on stream in 1962. The multi-company complex hosts or has hosted the Gela Refinery, Versalis (formerly Polimeri Europa), Eni Rewind (formerly Syndial), ISAF, Enimed and Ecorigen. The perimeter also takes in oil centres, landfills, the Gela and Acate-Dirillo rivers and the Biviere di Gela coastal lagoon, a Ramsar wetland.

According to the Ministry's fact sheet, soils hold light and heavy hydrocarbons, PAHs, metals, carcinogenic chlorinated aliphatics, ammonia and BTEXS; groundwater holds metals, tetraethyl lead, PAHs, BTEXS, MTBE, PCBs, hydrocarbons, chlorinated compounds and chlorobenzenes.

The site was among the first SINs named by law 426/1998 and its perimeter was set in 2000. Environmental works began in 1999. Conventional refining stopped in 2014 and a biorefinery has run on part of the area since 2019. Eni Rewind operates groundwater treatment, selective recovery of floating hydrocarbons, demolitions and the containment of the former ISAF phosphogypsum landfill (52 hectares).

Timeline

  1. 1960Construction of the petrochemical plant begins.
  2. 1962The first units start production.
  3. 1998Law 426/1998 names Gela a site of national interest.
  4. 1999Environmental works begin at the site.
  5. 2000The decree of 10 January 2000 sets the perimeter.
  6. 2014Conventional refining units shut down.
  7. 2018Soil remediation starts on islands 2, 6, 9 and 17.
  8. 2019The biorefinery starts up.
  9. 2020Programme Agreement signed by the Environment Ministry and the Sicilian Region.

Health

SENTIERI, Sixth Report (2023; mortality 2013-2017, hospital admissions 2014-2018, regional reference): excess in both sexes for all-cause mortality, all malignant tumours and diseases of the urinary system; among causes linked a priori to the site's exposures, excess mortality from colorectal cancer. Among births in 2011-2019 (6,145) there were 248 cases of congenital anomalies, more than expected on the regional rate, with excesses for the nervous system, urinary system, genitals and limbs. The authors describe the general health profile as still critical.

Remediation

  1. 2025pump-and-treatGroundwater treatment: 7,884,385 m³ treated in 2025, of which 1,449,244 m³ recovered (Eni Rewind figures).
  2. —free-product recoverySelective recovery of floating hydrocarbons from the aquifer with the e-hyrec device: about 483,000 litres recovered.
  3. 2022containmentPermanent containment of island 1 completed in 2021-2022; the acrylonitrile plant (island 17) demolished.

From the literature

Species that acted on one of this site's contaminants in at least one study. The list is automatic and takes no account of this site's soil, concentrations or climate.

Plants

  • Medicago sativaAlfalfa, lucernePolychlorinated biphenylsPetroleum hydrocarbonsPolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbonsEvidence: field
  • Lolium perennePerennial ryegrassPolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbonsPetroleum hydrocarbonsEvidence: field
  • Paulownia tomentosaPrincess tree, empress treeLeadPetroleum hydrocarbonsEvidence: field
  • Populus × generosaHybrid poplar (P. trichocarpa × P. deltoides)Chlorinated solvents (TCE, PCE, chloroform)Polychlorinated biphenylsEvidence: field
  • Agrostis capillarisCommon bentLeadEvidence: field
  • Cannabis sativaIndustrial hempLeadEvidence: field

Fungi

  • Funneliformis mosseaePolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbonsEvidence: greenhouse
  • Agaricus bisporusButton mushroomPolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbonsLeadEvidence: laboratory
  • Irpex lacteusMilk-white toothed polyporePolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbonsPolychlorinated biphenylsEvidence: laboratory
  • Pleurotus ostreatusOyster mushroomPolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbonsPolychlorinated biphenylsEvidence: laboratory
  • Pleurotus pulmonariusPhoenix oyster, Indian oysterPetroleum hydrocarbonsPolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbonsEvidence: laboratory
  • Scedosporium apiospermumBTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes)Petroleum hydrocarbonsEvidence: laboratory

The rest are on the contaminant pages.

Nearby

SIN, Augusta, Priolo Gargallo, Melilli, Siracusa, Sicilia

Priolo (Augusta–Priolo–Melilli)

81 km

  • Petroleum hydrocarbons
  • Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
  • BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes)
  • Chlorinated solvents (TCE, PCE, chloroform)

SIN, Biancavilla (Catania), Sicilia

Biancavilla

83 km

  • Fluoro-edenite

SIN, Milazzo, San Filippo del Mela, Pace del Mela, San Pier Niceto, Monforte San Giorgio (Messina), Sicilia

Milazzo

155 km

  • Petroleum hydrocarbons
  • BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes)
  • Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
  • Dioxins and furans

SIN, Crotone; Cassano allo Ionio e Cerchiara di Calabria (Cosenza), Calabria

Crotone - Cassano - Cerchiara

336 km

  • Zinc
  • Lead
  • Cadmium
  • Arsenic

Sources

  1. Scheda SIN Gela (copia d'archivio), MASE, 2021
  2. Riferimenti normativi per i Siti di bonifica di Interesse Nazionale (agg. 31 dicembre 2025), ISPRA, 2025
  3. SENTIERI. Sesto Rapporto - Gela (Epidemiol Prev 2023;47(1-2) Suppl 1), Epidemiologia & Prevenzione / ISS, 2023
  4. Gela - remediation project, Eni Rewind, 2025

Draft compiled from public sources, not yet reviewed.