Human Biomonitoring of metals and OH-PAHs nearby the Waste-to-Energy plant in Italy: a tool to assist evidence-based public health promotion

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plant in Gerbido (Turin) is one of the biggest facility in Europe that treats non-recyclable wastes, generates renewable energy, and supports the circular waste management. In the health surveillance programme identified as SPoTT (Population Health Surveillance in the Turin incinerator area) Human Biomonitoring (HBM) was used to assess human exposure to inorganic and organic contaminants in a cohort living around the WTE plant, with the aim to evaluate the impact of the plant. METHODS: Urine samples from subjects residing in areas near and far from the WTE plant, as defined by fallout maps, were collected before the plant start-up (T0, 2013) and after one (T1) and three years of operation (T2), and analyzed for metals, and PAH metabolites (OH-PAHs). From 396 individuals enrolled at T0, only 13.1% declined to adhere to the T2 study (no. 344 in total). Differences in levels of contaminants between the two exposure areas were assessed by the Mann-Whitney test, while changes over time by the Friedman test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. RESULTS:Several metals showed a decline in concentration from T0 to T2 HBM campaigns, and in both areas of exposure; exception were the higher Rh and Pt levels in the area far from the WTE, mostly due to traffic pollution. Urinary OH-PAHs quantified in the residents near the WTE plant at T2 were lower than those measured at T0, and respect to the far area. Levels of metals and OH-PAHs were generally comparable with those observed in other HBM studies relative to background exposure scenarios. CONCLUSIONS:HBM data showed concentrations of metals and OH-PAHs not significantly associated with the 3-years activity of the WTE plant, and with areas of exposure, and did not evidence any impact of the WTE facility on human exposure to environmental contaminants. KEYWORDS: Chemical exposures, Biomarkers of exposure, Exposure assessment