"The ground is smouldering with unnatural fumes", explains Enzo Tosti, a local activist. As the fumes rise, lethal contamination spreads into the local farms and the aquifers surrounding Naples. The effect of the Mafia waste disposal has been devastating as these toxins have now found their way into the food chain, causing "carcinogenic, mutagenic damage" and an upsurge in child cancer rates. Carmine Schiavone, the former Mafia boss in charge of disposing of the toxic waste, has now had a turn of conscience. Disgusted with what he was doing he betrayed his clan and is now a police informant on the Mafia's toxic dumps. Exposing that the waste near Naples was dumped under the "knowledge of senior officials", Schiavone also indicates that Naples isn't the only place in Italy facing this toxic time bomb.

Produced by Dateline, SBS Australia