r/Sardinia • u/BirdyHowdy • Jul 05 '25
Cunversatzione Where in Sardinia is it worth to buy a moderate-priced house in smaller towns but not too far from an airport?
Also, it should not be in an area with nuclear experiments and waste.
I was disappointed and shocked when I heard this about nuclear experiments and waste in Sardinia, considering that it allegedly has good air quality.
What would you recommend and where can I find the best offers?
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u/uranioh Jul 05 '25
I'm sorry but what does nuclear waste have to do with air quality? Why would nuclear waste even be an issue to you? Do you actually know how any of this works? And I speak as a Sardinian by generations...
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u/Acceptable_Sun_8989 Jul 05 '25
i'm sure its best to stay away from Sardinia if you're worried about contamination. Personally I have no concerns whatsoever.
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u/Ok-Iron3161 Jul 06 '25
All the island is filled with radioactive material better if you stay away
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u/Acceptable_Sun_8989 Jul 06 '25
I'm living here and as yet still have the correct number of fingers and toes )). If you dig as deep as you have and start worrying about the mirky nuclear underbelly of countries then I wonder which part of the world is actually 'safe'.
I am interested as to where you get your info on this though. I wonder if it's a TikTok thing, or there was a documentary or something like that, it's never been addressed on the Italian tv channels recently (as far as I know). I will ask my Sardinian wife if she knows or is concerned by it.
I do want your quote, All the island is filled with radioactive material on a tshirt though!
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u/BirdyHowdy Jul 06 '25
I didn't say that all the island is filled with radioactive material. Please read what I wrote.
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u/Acceptable_Sun_8989 Jul 07 '25
apologies, it was another commenter, I misread. Would still make a great shirt slogan though!
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u/BirdyHowdy Jul 06 '25
I hope that not all people on Sardinia are jerks.
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u/Acceptable_Sun_8989 Jul 07 '25
I think you managed to bring out the jerk in a few of us with your scaremongering :)
Although OP, yesterday we had a portion of the beach close to the main town of Cagliari in the south closed due to high levels of unfriendly bacteria in the water. Maybe I should have taken your commenters more seriously.
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u/BirdyHowdy Jul 07 '25
There are definitely some areas in Sardinia to avoid. Why is a person not allowed to ask if he is interested to buy property? Isn't that the normal thing to do in any country or region?
But remember, I was taking about some areas not all of Sardinia.
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u/parker9832 Jul 06 '25
Nothing like nuclear ignorance to keep someone away from paradise. I hear there’s some cheap real estate on the Bikini Atoll
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u/BirdyHowdy Jul 06 '25
Why is everyone so unfriendly here?
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u/Acceptable_Sun_8989 Jul 07 '25
If you don't see the subtle rudeness in your original post then I'm not sure what to tell you.
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u/BirdyHowdy Jul 07 '25
You people are hopeless unfriendly and what you interpret into my original posting is only in your head.
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u/Acceptable_Sun_8989 Jul 07 '25
by 'you people' you mean Sardinians? or Redditors? Or ,most likely, the people that took the time to read your mildly offensive post and still decided to at least try to help, or at best make light of your fears about our nuclear island.
Like I said previously, if you didn't realise your post was slightly rude and offensive to the island then I'm not sure how to take your comment about, 'you people'.
I'm happy someone googled your answer for you, perhaps that's a skill you can brush up on in future.
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u/BirdyHowdy Jul 07 '25
First price in arrogance goes to you.
You have lots of personal issues. Arrogance doesn't make you are greater person, just a pitiful one.
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u/Specialist_Monk_3016 Jul 06 '25
Do your own research if you are worried about nuclear waste - honestly its a massive non-event.
In terms of locations near airports, the best thing to do is figure out where you need to fly to regular and work out what the connections are - pay particular attention to both summer and winter connections as they can look quite different.
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u/4024-6775-9536 Jul 06 '25
By the radiation map the best place could be near Alghero, pricey, or Ossi, Sorso
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u/9peppe Jul 06 '25
There's nothing nuclear about the range at Salto di Quirra. Plenty of toxic stuff, tho.
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u/BirdyHowdy Jul 06 '25
I now received this answer from another source than this group:
The "radioactive experiences" in Sardinia that are most frequently discussed in the context of health and environmental concerns are primarily linked to military testing, particularly involving depleted uranium (DU) and other radioactive components in munitions. These activities have been carried out by Italian forces, often in the context of NATO exercises or with the involvement of NATO member countries (like Germany, as mentioned in one of the search results for missile testing).
The main locations where these activities, and subsequent contamination, are a significant issue are:
Salto di Quirra Inter-force Test Range (Poligono Sperimentale e di Addestramento Interforze del Salto di Quirra - PISQ):
Location: Southeastern Sardinia, spanning parts of the Ogliastra and Cagliari (Sarrabus-Gerrei) provinces, near towns like Perdasdefogu, Quirra, and Escalaplano.
Activities: This is the largest military range in Italy and one of the largest in the EU. For decades, it has been used for testing a wide variety of weapons, including rockets, missiles (e.g., Milan anti-tank missiles which contained radioactive thorium-232, and Cormoran missiles equipped with depleted uranium), bombs, and drones. Blasting and armament destruction also occurred here.
Contamination: Extensive studies and legal inquiries have linked activities at Salto di Quirra to the presence of heavy metals and radioactive elements (including thorium and, controversially, depleted uranium) in the soil, water, air, and even in the food chain (honey, milk). This has led to the so-called "Quirra syndrome," characterized by elevated rates of cancers, leukemias, and birth defects in both humans and livestock in the surrounding areas.
Capo Teulada (Poligono Militare di Teulada):
Location: Southwestern Sardinia, near the town of Teulada.
Activities: This is another major NATO inter-force range where various bombs and missiles have been tested and consumed for decades.
Contamination: Reports and investigations have indicated an "environmental disaster" in parts of this range, with the discovery of unexploded ordnance and concerns about polluting and potentially radioactive substances.
Capo Frasca Military Training Site (Poligono di Capo Frasca):
Location: West coast of Sardinia.
Activities: Used for military exercises by various forces, including Italian, German, NATO, and other air forces. It includes a "maritime security zone" for naval activities.
Contamination: Concerns have been raised about the presence of unexploded ordnance and the potential for harmful chemicals and radiation, although some recent studies aim to assess and monitor environmental impact.
It's important to clarify:
These are not nuclear power plants or active uranium mines.
The "radioactive experiences" refer to the testing and destruction of conventional weaponry that contained radioactive materials (like depleted uranium or thorium), and the subsequent environmental contamination resulting from these activities over decades.
The issue is highly sensitive and has been the subject of numerous parliamentary inquiries, scientific studies, public protests, and legal battles in Italy, with accusations of a cover-up regarding the full extent of the contamination and its health effects.
So, while NATO itself doesn't "make" nuclear weapons tests in Sardinia, its member countries and forces have utilized these ranges for activities that, according to multiple reports and investigations, have left a legacy of radioactive and heavy metal contamination.
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u/9peppe Jul 07 '25
Probably. My point is that DU is a chemical contaminant, not a nuclear one. It's used because it's cheap, not because it's radioactive.
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u/BirdyHowdy Jul 07 '25
And other radioactive components in munitions, from Germany. Creepy what they are doing, if you ask me.
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u/9peppe Jul 07 '25
I don't know about that, it sounds expensive and time intensive to build, maintain, and use such munitions. Radioactive stuff needs to be replaced often. It's also very easily tracked.
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u/BirdyHowdy Jul 07 '25
Chemical, radioactive & toxic munitions impact are (ongoing) tracked.
Research in 2013 in Sardinia detected heavy-metal pollution (Rb, Tl, W, Ti, Al, Cd, Pb) from routine operations—soil, water, air, animals, and forage all showed exceedances.
For years, local residents and watchdog groups have noted increases in cancer, leukemia, birth defects (particularly "Quirra syndrome"), and radioactive residue—suspected to stem from depleted uranium, thorium, white phosphorus, and napalm-related substances.
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u/PinguinusImperialis Jul 05 '25
Didn’t you know all of Sardegna is contaminated by radioactive waste? It gave them all superpowers where they all live to 100.