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Journal of Public Health Advance Access published online on July 25, 2006
Journal of Public Health, doi:10.1093/pubmed/fdl037
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© The Author 2006, Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved

Article

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

Richard J. Roberts 1 * and Mengfang Chen 2

1 National Public Health Service for Wales, Abton House, Wedal Road, Cardiff, CF14 3QX, UK
2 Capita Symonds, Wood Street, East Grinstead, West Sussex, RH19 1UU, UK

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Richard J. Roberts, E-mail: richard.roberts{at}nphs.wales.nhs.uk


  Abstract

Objective To assess the health risk from a medium-sized waste incinerator and develop a single comparable figure to quantify overall risk.`

Method 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.

Results 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.

Conclusion 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.

Keywords: air pollutants, dioxins, environmental exposure, environmental pollution, incineration, risk assessment, mortality, population, public health, Wales.
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