Health risks in areas close to urban solid waste landfill sites.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the association between living close to solid waste landfill sites and occurrences of cancer and congenital malformations among populations in their vicinity.


METHODS
Deaths among people living in the municipality of São Paulo, Southeastern Brazil, between 1998 and 2002 were selected and geocoded, according to selected causes. Over the period evaluated, there were 351 deaths due to liver cancer, 160 due to bladder cancer and 224 due to leukemia, among adults, 25 due to childhood leukemia and 299 due to congenital malformation, in areas close to landfill sites. Buffer zones of radius 2 km around the 15 sites delimited the areas exposed. Standardized mortality ratios for each outcome were analyzed in Bayesian spatial models.


RESULTS
In a general manner, the highest values for the standardized mortality ratios were found in more central areas of the municipality, while the landfill sites were located in more peripheral areas. The standardized mortality ratios did not indicate any excess risk for people living in areas close to solid waste landfill sites in the municipality of São Paulo. For landfill sites in operation, there was a greater risk of bladder and liver cancer, and death due to congenital malformation, but without statistical significance.


CONCLUSIONS
No increase in the risk of cancer or congenital malformations was found in areas in the vicinity of urban waste dumps in the municipality of São Paulo. The weak associations and the imprecision of the estimates obtained did not allow any causal relationship to be established.
Gouveia
Nelson
N
Departamento de Medicina, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil. ngouveia@usp.br
Prado
Rogerio Ruscitto do
RR
D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007938:Leukemia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D018811:Maternal Exposure; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality