Concentrations of PCDD/Fs in the neighborhood of a hazardous waste incinerator: human health risks

Environmental impact and human health risks of air pollutants near a large chemical/petrochemical complex: Case study in Tarragona, Spain

Chemical industries and oil refineries are known emission sources of environmental contaminants, such as metals/metalloids, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), among others. Based on the toxicological potential of these pollutants, harmful health effects can be expected for the population living near these facilities. One of the largest chemical/petrochemical complexes in Europe is located in Tarragona County (Catalonia, Spain). In the last two decades, a number of investigations aimed at assessing the environmental impact of air pollutants potentially emitted by this industrial complex have been carried out. The present paper is a review of the available scientific information on the levels of air pollutants related with the activities of this chemical/petrochemical complex. Although there are currently some data on the environmental burdens of metals/metalloids, PAHs, VOCs and PCDD/Fs, there is an evident lack of specific biological monitoring studies on human health. Taking into account the amount of chemicals released to air and their toxicity, it is essential to perform an in-depth analysis of the current health status of the population living in Tarragona County.

Decreasing temporal trends of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in adipose tissue from residents near a hazardous waste incinerator

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) are very toxic chemicals which are emitted in waste incineration and whose exposure has important adverse effects for the human health. In 2019, adipose tissue samples were collected from 15 individuals with a median age of 61 years, who had been living near a hazardous waste incinerator in Constantí (Spain). The content of PCDD/Fs in each sample was analyzed. The results were compared with data from previous studies, conducted before (1998) and after (2002, 2007 and 2013) the facility started to operate, and based on populations of similar age. In 2019, the mean concentration of PCDD/Fs in adipose tissue was 6.63 pg WHO-TEQ/g fat, ranging from 0.95 to 12.95 pg WHO-TEQ/g fat. A significant reduction was observed with respect to the baseline study (1998), when a mean PCDD/Fs concentration of 40.1 pg WHO-TEQ/g fat was found. Moreover, the current level was much lower than those observed in the 3 previous studies (9.89, 14.6 and 11.5 pg WHO-TEQ/g fat in 2002, 2007 and 2013, respectively). The body burdens of PCDD/Fs were strongly correlated with age. The significant reduction of PCDD/Fs levels in adipose tissue fully agreed with the decreasing trend of the dietary intake of PCDD/Fs by the population of the zone (from 210.1 pg I-TEQ/day in 2018 to 8.54 pg WHO-TEQ/day in 2018). Furthermore, a similar decrease has been also observed in other biological, such as breast milk and plasma. The current data in adipose tissue, as well as those in other biological monitors, indicate that the population living near the HWI is not particularly exposed to high levels of PCDD/Fs. However, biomonitoring studies cannot differentiate the impact of the HWI emissions from food consumption patterns. This question can be only solved by conducting complementary investigations and contrasting the results of monitoring and epidemiological studies.

Trends of Polychlorinated Compounds in the Surroundings of a Municipal Solid Waste Incinerator in Mataró (Catalonia, Spain): Assessing Health Risks

Since 2008, the environmental levels of polychlorinated compounds near a municipal solid waste incinerator in Mataró (Catalonia, Spain) have been periodically monitored. The present study aimed at updating the data regarding the temporal changes occurred between 2015 and 2017, when air and soil samples were collected again, and the concentrations of the same chemical pollutants (i.e., polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)) were analysed. Furthermore, the health risks associated with their human exposure were also evaluated. The levels of all the contaminants in soil were far below the threshold established by regional and national legislations, also being lower than those observed in previous surveys. A similar trend was also noted for PCDD/Fs in air samples, while airborne PCBs were the only group of chemicals whose levels significantly increased. In any case, the global assessment of the data regarding the different pollutants and matrices indicates that there has not been a general increase in the environmental pollution around the facility. In addition, the environmental exposure to PCDD/Fs and PCBs by the population living nearby is still clearly lower than the dietary intake of these same chemical pollutants.

Trace Elements in Blood of the Population Living near a Hazardous Waste Incinerator in Catalonia, Spain

In 2012, the concentrations of trace elements (As, Be, Cd, Cr, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sn, Tl, and V) were measured in blood samples of the population living in the vicinity of a hazardous waste incinerator (HWI) located in Tarragona County (Catalonia, Spain). This study is part of a wide surveillance program aimed at assessing the impact of the facility on the public health conducted since 1998, before the HWI started operating. Lead was the metal occurring with the highest concentration (21.7 μg kg^-1), followed by Mn (19.7 μg kg^-1) and Hg (4.62 μg kg^-1). Arsenic (6.99 μg kg^-1) showed a low detection rate (49%), while the rest of the analyzed trace elements were not detected. In 2017, a new sampling campaign was conducted, and three new trace elements (Co, Cu, and Sb) were added. In the most recent survey, Cu reached a mean concentration of 931 μg kg^-1, up to 60-fold higher than that corresponding to the remaining trace elements. Relatively high levels were also found for Sb (16.0 μg kg^-1), Mn (13.9 μg kg^-1), and Pb (13.0 μg kg^-1). In comparison with the baseline study (1998), Hg, Mn, and Pb significantly decreased over time. Some trace elements showed significant differences according to sex, age, and area of residence. In general, the concentrations of trace elements in blood were similar to, or even lower than, those reported in the scientific literature. Hence, the exposure to trace elements does not mean any additional health risk for the population living near the HWI. This conclusion is in agreement with other studies carried out in the framework of this surveillance program, in which trace elements have been measured in different biological matrices, such as hair and autopsy tissues (brain, bone, kidney, liver, and lungs).

Cancer incidence in the vicinity of a waste incineration plant in the Nice area between 2005 and 2014

INTRODUCTION

Few studies on cancer incidence have been conducted since the adoption of the EU 2000/76/EC waste incineration directive which aimed to limit dioxin emission levels to less than 0.1 ng TEQ/m³ before December 31, 2005.

OBJECTIVE

To measure cancer incidence among the population exposed to atmospheric emissions from the waste incineration plant near the town of Nice (South-Eastern France), compared to the unexposed population of the Alpes-Maritimes department (A-M).

METHODS

All primary invasive cancers and haematological malignancies diagnosed among AM residents between 2005 and 2014 were recorded. The exposed surface was modeled on an average dioxin deposition model ≥4.25 ng/m²/year. Each case was geolocated and assigned to one of 36 predefined geographic units of exposed area, or one of 462 units in the unexposed area. The adjusted incidence rate, the standardized incidence ratio and the Comparative Morbidity Figure were calculated for two periods: 2005-2009/2010-2014.

RESULTS

We recorded 80,865 new cancers in the A-M population. Between 2005 and 2009, we observed a higher incidence among exposed women of acute myeloid leukaemia, myelodysplastic syndromes and myeloma and, among exposed men, of soft tissue sarcomas, myeloma and lung cancer. Between 2010 and 2014, there was no excess incidence among women, while among men incidence of myeloma and lung cancer remained higher.

CONCLUSION

Only among men, the incidence of myeloma and lung cancer remained higher in the exposed area during the second period. The EU directive resulting in the limitation of atmospheric emissions from incinerators could explain the decrease in incidence of cancers with protracted latency. Consideration of other risk factors and further data collection will be necessary to validate this hypothesis.

Exposure to heavy metals and its association with DNA oxidative damage in municipal waste incinerator workers in Shenzhen, China

Burning municipal waste produces a great deal of harmful heavy metals, which may lead to elevated exposure in incinerator workers and residents living nearby. However, relevant human exposure studies remain scarce, especially in China. This study aimed to determine the concentrations of ten heavy metals in urine of incinerator workers (n = 119, as the exposed group) and residents living nearby (n = 215, as the control group) from Shenzhen (China), and explore the associations between heavy metal exposure and DNA oxidative stress (indicated by 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine or 8-OHdG) in humans. The median urinary concentrations of manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), chromium (Cr), arsenic (As), selenium (Se) and 8-OHdG in the exposed group were significantly higher than those in the control group (p < 0.05), suggesting occupational exposure elevated heavy metal intake for the incinerator workers. Nevertheless, there is no correlation statistically significant between the concentrations of any heavy metal and 8-OHdG in urine in the exposed group, indicating heavy metals releasing from waste incineration were not important factors to induce DNA oxidative stress. To our knowledge, this study firstly reported the concentrations of heavy metal in urine and their associations with DNA oxidative damage in waste incinerator workers in Shenzhen, China.

The bibliometric analysis and review of dioxin in waste incineration and steel sintering

Facing the common treatment problems of dioxin whose major sources come from waste incineration and steel sintering, we handled a massive literature dataset from the Web of Science database and analyzed the research hotspot and development trend in this field in the past 40 years by bibliometric method. The result indicates that the field of dioxins generated from waste incineration and steel sintering has entered a stage of rapid development since 1990. China occupies a leading position in terms of comprehensive strength with the largest publications output as well as a greater influence in recent years. The most productive institutions and journals are Zhejiang University and Chemosphere, respectively. In addition, the most commonly used keywords in statistical analysis are "fly ash," "emission control," "risk assessment," "congener profile," "formation mechanisms," "sources," "catalysis," and "inhibition," which reflects the current main research direction in this field. The similarities and differences of dioxins generated in waste incineration and steel sintering are reviewed in this paper, which will provide guidance for the future research.

Health risk of childhood exposure to PCDD/Fs emitted from a municipal waste incinerator in Zhejiang, China

This study aimed to evaluate the body burdens of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and their associated health impacts toward school-age children living near a municipal waste incinerator (MWI). A total of 82 children from the exposure area and 49 from the control area were recruited. We measured blood PCDD/F levels, conducted comet assays, calculated the percentage of 5-methylcytosine (%5-mC) and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (%5-hmC), performed flow cytometry, measured hormonal levels, and analyzed hematological parameters. We also examined 17 congeners of PCDD/Fs in environmental samples, namely, eggs, rice, water, soil, and PM_2.5. The mean blood levels of ΣPCDD/Fs and TEQ-ΣPCDD/Fs were statistically higher in the exposure group than in the control group (3.40 vs. 2.77 pg/g wet weight and 0.40 vs. 0.28 pg WHO-TEQ/g wet weight, respectively; p < 0.05). By contrast, the %5-mC and %5-hmC levels were statistically lower in the exposure group than in the control group (1.15% vs. 4.66% and 0.22% vs. 0.30%, respectively; p < 0.01), whereas the mean % tail DNA was statistically higher in the exposure group than in the control group (10.10% vs. 8.28%, p < 0.01). The mean blood levels of ΣPCDD/Fs and TEQ-ΣPCDD/Fs were both negatively correlated with %5-mC (r = -0.245 and r = -0.217, respectively; p < 0.01) but not with %5-hmC and % tail DNA (p > 0.05). Furthermore, the mean ΣPCDD/F levels in eggs and soil obtained from the exposure area were statistically higher than those of the samples obtained from the control area (31.08 vs. 4.32 pg/g dry weight and 1026.04 vs. 674.97 pg/g dry weight, respectively). In conclusion, children living near the MWI may suffer genetic and epigenetic modifications, such as DNA damage or global DNA hypomethylation due to the MWI-emitted PCDD/Fs and other contaminants.

Biomonitoring of Trace Elements in Hair of Schoolchildren Living Near a Hazardous Waste Incinerator-A 20 Years Follow-Up

Since 1998, a monitoring program is periodically performed to assess the environmental and human health impact of air chemicals potentially emitted by a hazardous waste incinerator (HWI) located in Constantí (Catalonia, Spain). In 2017, samples of hair were collected from 94 schoolchildren (aged 10-13 years) living nearby and the levels of 11 trace elements (As, Be, Cd, Cr, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sn, Tl and V) were determined. The concentrations showed the following descending order: Pb > Hg > Ni > Sn > Mn > Cr. In turn, As, Be and Tl were not detected, while Cd and V were found only in a few samples. Some metal levels were significantly, positively correlated. Some significant differences were also noticed according to the gender and the specific zone of residence. Finally, the levels of trace elements showed fluctuations through time. Cr and Pb showed a significant decrease in comparison to the concentrations obtained in the baseline study (1998). According to the current results, metal emissions from the HWI are not relevant in terms of human health impact since their levels were similar and even lower than those reported in other contaminated areas.

Monitoring dioxins and furans in plasma of individuals living near a hazardous waste incinerator: Temporal trend after 20 years

The concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) were analyzed in 40 plasma samples of individuals living in zones under potential influence of the emissions of a hazardous waste incinerator (HWI) (Tarragona County, Catalonia, Spain). Samples corresponded to subjects of different gender, age and specific areas of residence. The levels of PCDD/Fs were compared to those obtained in a baseline study (1998), as well as in previous surveys (2002, 2007 and 2012). The current mean concentration of PCDD/Fs in plasma was 6.79 pg I-TEQ/g lipid, which was significantly lower than the baseline concentration (27.0 pg I-TEQ/g lipid). A significant decrease was also observed in comparison to the results obtained in 2002 and 2007 (15.7 and 9.4 pg I-TEQ/g, respectively), while the current PCDD/F levels were similar to those obtained in 2012 (6.18 pg I-TEQ/g lipid). This important reduction in plasma PCDD/F levels is in accordance with the decreasing trend in the daily dietary intake of PCDD/Fs, which diminished from 210.1 pg I-TEQ (baseline) to 8.54 pg WHO-TEQ (current). OCDD was the predominant congener in plasma, while 2,3,7,8-TeCDD and 1,2,3,4,7,8,9-HpCDF showed the lowest levels. Based on the above results, as well as other recent data on the levels of PCDD/Fs in human milk, we conclude that the presence of the HWI does not mean additional and significant risks -as regards to PCDD/F exposure-for the population living in the neighborhood of the facility.