Abstract
BackgroundSome studies have reported associations between municipal waste incinerator (MWI) exposures and adverse birth outcomes but there are few studies of modern MWIs operating to current European Union (EU) Industrial Emissions Directive standards. MethodsAssociations between modelled ground-level particulate matter ≤10 μm in diameter (PM10) from MWI emissions (as a proxy for MWI emissions) within 10 km of each MWI, and selected birth and infant mortality outcomes were examined for all 22 MWIs operating in Great Britain 2003–10. We also investigated associations with proximity of residence to a MWI. Outcomes used were term birth weight, small for gestational age (SGA) at term, stillbirth, neonatal, post-neonatal and infant mortality, multiple births, sex ratio and preterm delivery sourced from national registration data from the Office for National Statistics. Analyses were adjusted for relevant confounders including year of birth, sex, season of birth, maternal age, deprivation, ethnicity and area characteristics and random effect terms were included in the models to allow for differences in baseline rates between areas and in incinerator feedstock. ResultsAnalyses included 1,025,064 births and 18,694 infant deaths. There was no excess risk in relation to any of the outcomes investigated during pregnancy or early life of either mean modelled MWI PM10 or proximity to an MWI. ConclusionsWe found no evidence that exposure to PM10 from, or living near to, an MWI operating to current EU standards was associated with harm for any of the outcomes investigated. Results should be generalisable to other MWIs operating to similar standards.
Highlights
Incineration of waste by Municipal Waste Incinerators (MWIs) has been increasing in the UK; since 2000 the tonnage of waste incinerated has more than tripled with approximately 35% of all local authority waste in Environmental Permitting Regulations – Industrial sites (England) being incinerated (Department for Environment, 2016)
The aim of this study was to investigate at the national scale possible health effects associated with (i) MWI emissions of particulate matter ≤10 μm in diameter (PM10) as a proxy for MWI emissions more generally, and (ii) living near a MWI, in relation to fetal growth, stillbirth, infant mortality and other birth outcomes
Fetal growth and preterm birth outcomes we found no associations in the adjusted models between term birth weight, term small for gestational age (SGA) (Odds Ratio 0.99 [0.98, 1.00]), sex ratio, multiple births or preterm delivery per doubling of PM10 from MWIs during pregnancy (Table 1)
Summary
Incineration of waste by Municipal Waste Incinerators (MWIs) has been increasing in the UK; since 2000 the tonnage of waste incinerated has more than tripled with approximately 35% of all local authority waste in England being incinerated (Department for Environment, 2016). The aim of this study was to investigate at the national scale possible health effects associated with (i) MWI emissions of particulate matter ≤10 μm in diameter (PM10) as a proxy for MWI emissions more generally, and (ii) living near a MWI, in relation to fetal growth, stillbirth, infant mortality and other birth outcomes. Some studies have reported associations between municipal waste incinerator (MWI) exposures and adverse birth outcomes but there are few studies of modern MWIs operating to current European Union (EU) Industrial Emissions Directive standards. Methods: Associations between modelled ground-level particulate matter ≤10 μm in diameter (PM10) from MWI emissions (as a proxy for MWI emissions) within 10 km of each MWI, and selected birth and infant mortality outcomes were examined for all 22 MWIs operating in Great Britain 2003–10. Conclusions: We found no evidence that exposure to PM10 from, or living near to, an MWI operating to current
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