The authors examined adult diabetes patients 25-74 years of age in New York for diabetes among patients residing in ZIP codes containing POPs-contaminated …
Landfills and Adverse Health Effects
1 Kouznetsova, M, et al Increased Rate of Hospitalization for
Diabetes and Residential Proximity of Hazardous Waste Sites,
Environmental Health Perspectives, 2007 1151: 75-79
This study investigated whether residence near persistent organic
pollutants POPs-contaminated hazardous waste sites increased rates
of hospitalization for diabetes The authors examined adult diabetes
patients 25-74 years of age in New York State from 1993-2000 After
controlling for major potential confounders, the study found a
statistically significant increase in the rate of hospitalization for
diabetes among patients residing in ZIP codes containing POPs-
contaminated waste sites versus patients in clean sites These
results do not prove a cause and effect relationship; however, this
study provides further support for the association between diabetes
and exposure to environmental contaminants
2 Kuehn, CM, et al Risk of Malformations Associated with Residential
Proximity to Hazardous Waste Sites in Washington State, Environmental
Research,
2007 103: 405-412
This study examines the relationship between malformations occurring
in infants and maternal residential proximity to hazardous waste sites
in Washington State Maternal residence of infants born with
malformations from 1987-2001 was compared to maternal residence of
infants who were randomly selected and who were born without
malformations during this same time period The authors found that
infants born within 5 miles of a hazardous waste site had an increased
risk of malformations compared to infants born more than 5 miles away
from a hazardous waste site
3 Palmer, S et al Risk of congenital anomalies after the opening of
landfill sites, Environmental Health Perspectives, 2005 11310:
1362-1365
This study was conducted to investigate whether there was an increased
risk of births with congenital malformations for mothers living near
24 landfill sites in Wales that opened between 1983 and 1997 Expected
rates of congenital anomalies were compared to those of mothers living
within 2 km of the sites, before and after opening of the landfills
Results
showed risk of congenital anomalies for mothers living near
the landfills increased when the sites were opened However, the data
could not establish a causal link between the landfills and the
malformations because of a variety of biases that may have confounded
the relationship Nonetheless, the increase in risk associated with
the opening of sites requires continued surveillance
4 Morgan, O, Vrijheid, M, Dolk, H Risk of low birth weight near
EUROHAZCON hazardous waste landfill sites in England, Archives of
Environmental Health, 2004 593: 149-151
This study evaluated risk of low birth weight near 10 English
hazardous waste sites used in a previous study of congenital anomalies
see below The authors found a small but not statistically
significant increase in risk of low birth weight within 3 km of sites
The findings of this study suggest that previously reported results
for congenital anomalies should not be extrapolated to a wider range
of reproductive effects but instead evaluated separately for each
outcome
5 Dummer, T, Dickinson, H, Parker, L Adverse pregnancy outcomes near
landfill sites in Cumbria, northwest England, 1950-1993, Archives of
Environmental Health, 2003 5811: 692-697
This study is one of only a few that have evaluated the risks of
stillbirth or neonatal death for mothers living near landfills All
stillbirths, neonatal deaths, and lethal congenital anomalies
occurring among 287,993 births to mothers in Cumbria, northwest
England during the period 1950-1993 were studied For the period 1970-
1993, a small but significant increase in risk of other congenital
anomalies of the nervous system was found in mothers living near
domestic waste landfill sites This finding was consistent with other
researchers, but a causal effect could not be inferred and the
possibility that the results occurred by chance could not be ruled
out
6 Vrijheid et al Chromosomal congenial anomalies and residence near
hazardous waste landfill sites, Lancet, Jan 26, 2002 359: 320-322
This study revealed that there is an increased risk of chromosomal
anomalies in people who live close to hazardous waste landfills
Adjustments were made for maternal age and
socioeconomic status The
results of this study suggest that an increase in the risk of
chromosomal anomalies is similar to that found for non-chromosomal
anomalies
7 Elliot, P et al Risk of adverse birth outcomes in populations
living near landfill sites, British Medical Journal, 2001 323: 363-
368
Between 1982 and 1997, a study was conducted to investigate the risk
of adverse birth outcomes associated with residence near landfill
sites Individuals living 2 km from one of 9565 landfill sites
throughout Great Britain were sampled This has been the largest
study of associations between residence near landfill and adverse
birth outcomes thus far It was concluded that residents near
landfill sites are at risk of having children with congenital
anomalies and low birth weight, however, further studies are needed to
explain these findings
8 McNamee, R, Dolk, H Editorial: Does exposure to landfill waste harm
the fetus?, British Medical Journal, 2001 323: 351-352
This editorial addresses issues raised in the article entitled Risk
of adverse birth outcomes in populations
living near landfill sites
by Elliot et al in the August 2001 edition of the British Medical
Journal
9 Berger, S, Jones P, White, M Exploratory analysis of respiratory
illness among persons living near a landfill, Journal of Environmental
Health, 2000 626: 19
Due to concern expressed by residents in two Staten Island, NY
communities, the authors of this study evaluated the severity and
frequency of respiratory symptoms occurring over a 12-month period
among self-identified residents with asthma, severe breathing, or
other respiratory conditions Responses indicated that residents who
lived adjacent to the landfill and those from the north-shore seven
miles from the landfill had differing health problems, with landfill
residents reporting higher rates of certain odors and eye, nose and
throat irritation The authors concluded that further investigation of
respiratory illnesses should be conducted, as the study showed high
rates of respiratory-related symptoms and conditions
10 Vrijheid et al Health effects of residence near hazardous waste
landfill sites: a review of
epidemiologic literature, Environmental
Health Perspectives, 2000 108: Suppl 1 101-112
This review is an evaluation of current literature on the adverse
health effects due to residence near landfill sites It is difficult
to make a conclusion about direct causes for adverse health effects
and risks of landfills in general are hard to quantify Of the
studies reviewed, all proved to have insufficient exposure
information This article suggests that research of exposure to
landfill sites needs to take a more interdisciplinary approach
Furthermore, epidemiologic and toxicologic studies need to be
conducted for individual chemicals and chemical mixtures in order to
understand what their effects may be on a population living near a
landfill
11 Knox, EG Childhood cancers, birthplaces, incinerators and landfill
sites, International Journal of Epidemiology, 2000 29: 391-397
A study conducted in Great Britain between 1974 and 1987 found that
children living near incinerators, both municipal and medical, were at
more risk of getting cancer than those children living near landfill
sites This study targeted the sensitivity of children to
carcinogenic emissions, but it failed to take into account the
association of additional toxic sources in the vicinity This study
also did not account for the migration of families from areas of high
toxicity to areas of low toxicity before, during, or after a childs
birth
12 State of New York Department of Health, Center for Environmental
Health Investigation of cancer incidence near 38 landfills with soil
gas migration conditions: New York state, 1980-1989, 1998 Available
from: New York State DOH, 2 University Place, Albany, NY 12203-3399
Phone: 1-800-458-1158
Thirty-eight landfills throughout the state of New York were selected
for a study to find out if people living near certain landfills had an
increased risk of cancer compared to people living elsewhere This
study evaluated cancer incidence among people living around these 38
landfills between 1980 and 1989 All cases of leukemia, non-Hodgkins
lymphoma, liver, lung, kidney, bladder and brain cancer were
identified and located on a map Although this study had many
limitations, it still found that women living near the landfills had a
higher incidence of bladder cancer and leukemia In comparison, men
did not show an increased risk of any type of cancer despite their
proximity to a landfill
13 Dolk, H et al Risk of congenital anomalies near hazardous-waste
landfill sites in Europe: the EUROHAZCON study, Lancet, 1998 352:
423-427
This study examined seven regional registers of congenital anomalies
in five different countries in Europe to determine if exposure from
hazardous chemicals at landfills increased the risk of birth defects
Twenty-one sites were examined overall and among those sites mothers
within a 3 km radius showed a significantly raised risk of having
children with congenital anomalies The results of this study were
adjusted for maternal age and socioeconomic status However, this
studys findings are limited by a lack of information on exposures
14 Berry, M, and Bove, F Birth weight reduction associated with
residence near a hazardous waste landfill, Environmental Heath
Perspectives, Aug 1997 1058: 856-861
Twenty-five years of birth certificate information 1961-1985 was
collected in order to examine the relationship between birth weight
and mothers residence near the Lipari Landfill located in New Jersey
The results indicate that there was a significant impact to infants
born to residents who lived near the landfill during the time they
would have been at greatest risk of exposure to hazardous chemicals
Many factors, including maternal health, cigarette and alcohol
consumption during pregnancy, and socioeconomic status were not
available for this study
15 Goldberg, M et al Incidence of cancer among persons living near a
municipal solid waste landfill site in Montreal, Quebec, Archives of
Environmental Health, 1995 506: 416-424
In a Canadian study, researchers from the Public Health Department in
Montreal evaluated cancer incidence rates in people living around the
Miron Quarry municipal landfill Thirty-five volatile organic
chemicals were identified in the landfill gases sampled, including
known human carcinogens When evaluating cancer incidence rates among
persons living near
the landfill, it was concluded that there might
have been increased risks for certain cancers, such as stomach, liver,
lung, prostate, and cervix uteri The researchers also concluded that
there were too many unknown factors to make any conclusions as to
whether cancer incidence and proximity to the landfill were directly
related
16 Shaw, G et al Congenital malformations and birth weight in areas
with potential environmental contamination, Archives of Environmental
Health, March/April 1992 47: 147-154
Due to the publics increasing concern about reproductive damage as a
result of exposure to environmental contamination, a study was
conducted to determine if mothers living near contaminated sites were
at a greater risk of having children with congenital malformations
This study did not reveal lower birth weight or increased risks for
most malformations among women who lived in contaminated areas It
did, however, show an elevated risk for infants with malformations of
the heart and circulatory system
17 Upton, A et al Public health aspects of toxic chemical disposal
sites,
Annual Review of Public Health, 1989 10:1-22
This article provides a summary and overview of past health studies
conducted around toxic waste disposal sites The results of 16
published epidemiological studies of residential exposures to toxic
waste sites are summarized in this report, many of which are landfills
operated by local, state or federal agencies Although many
weaknesses were identified in this review, several adverse health
impacts were also identified These included decreased weight at
birth, increase in the frequency of congenial malformations, increase
in the occurrence of certain forms of cancer, decrease in the growth
and maturation of children, and increased prevalence of central
nervous system symptoms Overall, this article provides evidence that
health problems associated with exposure to toxic waste disposal sites
are underestimated and poorly studied
18 Hertzman, C et al Upper Ottawa Street landfill site health study,
Environmental Health Perspectives, 1987 75:173-195
As of 1987, there were few health studies conducted that found health
problems in
communities living around landfills that were published in
the medical or scientific literature To this day, there is still a
lack of conclusive studies giving evidence that adverse health effects
are caused by landfills alone In a study conducted by Clyde Hertzman
et al a number of health problems in workers and residents living
near the Upper Ottawa Street Landfill in Hamilton, Ontario were
identified A few of the problems found with the highest credibility
included clusters of respiratory, skin, narcotic, and mood disorders
Evidence is presented in their study that supports the hypothesis that
vapors, fumes or particulate matter emanating from the landfill site,
as well as direct skin exposure, may have lead to the health problems
found in excess in this particular area
19 Paigen, B et al Growth of children living near the hazardous waste
site, Love Canal, Human Biology, June 1987 593: 489-508
This is the third of a series of three studies that were conducted on
children living near the Love Canal landfill This study examined
whether living near a hazardous waste site had an
adverse impact on
the growth patterns of children Children are especially vulnerable
to environmental contamination and it was hypothesized that exposed
children would be smaller in comparison to control groups of children
within a similar socioeconomic status In earlier studies it was
found that there was a significant effect between health problems and
the closeness of homes near Love Canal, but in this study the
difference in stature associated with birth and residence near Love
Canal was not statistically significant These findings suggest that
length of exposure to chemicals may be more important to study rather
than point of exposure
20 Goldman, L, and Paigen, B Low birth weight, prematurity and birth
defects in children living near the hazardous waste site, Love Canal,
Hazardous Waste Hazardous Materials, 1985 22: 209-223
This is the second of a series of three studies that were conducted on
children living near the Love Canal landfill This study assessed
birth weight, prematurity, gestational age, and birth defects in 239
children who were living in the Love Canal
neighborhood before and
shortly after birth Overall the results showed no significant
difference in prematurity, but there was an increase in low birth rate
and birth defects The outcomes of this study suggest that low birth
weight is a good indicator of adverse health effects caused by
exposure to low levels of chemicals
21 Paigen, B, and Goldman, L Prevalence of health problems in children
living near Love Canal, Hazardous Waste Hazardous Materials, 1985
21:23-43
This is the first of a series of three health studies that were
conducted on children living near the Love Canal landfill This
particular study looked at the overall health of children The
parents of 523 Love Canal and 440 control children were given
questionnaires It was found that children that lived near Love Canal
had an increased prevalence of seven major health problems including,
seizures, learning problems, hyperactivity, eye irritation, skin
rashes, abdominal pain, and incontinence This paper addresses many
of the difficulties involved with conducting community health studies
and recognizes the
limitations of science when there are so many
variables to contend with
Updated 06/07
Source:tmhca-tn.org
