Background:
The evidence on the health effects related to residing close to landfills is controversial. Nine landfills for municipal waste have been operating in the Lazio region (Central Italy) for several decades. We evaluated the potential health effects associated with contamination from landfills using the estimated concentration of hydrogen sulphide (H
2
S) as exposure.
Methods
: A cohort of residents within 5 km of landfills was enrolled (subjects resident on 1 January 1996 and those who subsequently moved into the areas until 2008) and followed for mortality and hospitalizations until 31 December 2012. Assessment of exposure to the landfill (H
2
S as a tracer) was performed for each subject at enrolment, using a Lagrangian dispersion model. Information on several confounders was available (gender, age, socioeconomic position, outdoor PM
10
concentration, and distance from busy roads and industries). Cox regression analysis was performed [Hazard Ratios (HRs), 95% confidence intervals (CIs)].
Results:
The cohort included 242 409 individuals. H
2
S exposure was associated with mortality from lung cancer and respiratory diseases (e.g. HR for increment of 1 ng/m
3
H
2
S: 1.10, 95% CI 1.02–1.19; HR 1.09, 95% CI 1.00–1.19, respectively). There were also associations between H
2
S and hospitalization for respiratory diseases (HR = 1.02, 95% CI 1.00–1.03), especially acute respiratory infections among children (0–14 years) (HR = 1.06, 95% CI 1.02–1.11).
Conclusions:
Exposure to H
2
S, a tracer of airborne contamination from landfills, was associated with lung cancer mortality as well as with mortality and morbidity for respiratory diseases. The link with respiratory disease is plausible and coherent with previous studies, whereas the association with lung cancer deserves confirmation.
Introduction: Several studies have been conducted on the possible health effects for people living close to landfills and well-conducted reviews are available. Nevertheless, several uncertainties limit the overall interpretation of the findings. We evaluated the mortality risk in the cohort of people living near the nine landfills in Lazio, Italy.
Methods:The study area was defined as the 5 km radius around the landfills during the period 1996-2008. People who were residents in 1/1/1996, or subsequently became residents up to 31/12/2008, were enrolled in a longitudinal study. All the addresses were geocoded. Follow-up at 31/12/2008 was done by linking with the regional mortality database. SPRAY Lagrangian dispersion model was used for exposure assessment (H2S, indicator of diffuse emissions), while concentration maps of PM10 were considered for exposure to other pollution sources. Cause-specific mortality hazard ratios of people over the 95th percentile, comparing to people under the 50° percentile of H2S distribution, adjusted for age, area-based socioeconomic status (SES), and PM10 were calculated, using a Cox regression model.
Results: the cohort consisted of 196.868 people, 26% of low SES. No association between H2S exposure and all-cause (HR 0.96 CI 95% 0.81-1.14 men; HR 1.09, CI 95% 0.90-1.33 women), cancer (HR 1.01, CI 95% 0.76-1.33 and HR 1.36, CI 95% 0.96-1.92, men and women, respectively) or several other mortality causes was observed.
Conclusions:No increased risk of mortality was observed in this cohort, the ongoing morbidity study will provide further indications on the potential landfill health effects.
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