Waste incineration—how big is the health risk? A quantitative method to allow comparison with other health risks

Abstract

To assess the health risk from a medium-sized waste incinerator and develop a single comparable figure to quantify overall risk. We used a prospective health risk assessment utilizing US Environmental Protection Agency Human Health Risk Assessment Protocol (HHRAP) for Hazardous Waste Combustion Facilities and UK coefficients for the impact of sulphur dioxide and particulates. Calculations were based on a resident population of 25,398 living within 5.5 km of the site. Anxiety, employment, noise, occupational risks, road accidents, and reduced use of landfill were all considered to have a potential, but unquantifiable, effect on health. Stack emissions over 25 years in a population of 25,398 within 5.5 km of the stack would result in an additional 0.018 cancers, 0.46 deaths brought forward due to sulphur dioxide and 0.02 deaths due to fine particles. The overall risk of dying due to emissions in any one year was 2.49 x 10(-7) or 1 in 4 million. To facilitate better public understanding of the comparative risk of incinerator emissions, we propose a simple method of deriving a single annual risk figure allowing comparison with the risk of dying from other causes with which the public is more familiar.