Setting up an environmental health surveillance system (EHSS) around a toxic waste incinerator

P. Rudnai1, A. Páldy1, Gy. Dura1, É. Vaskövi1, J. Szaniszló2, M. Náray2, Á. Moró3

1National Institute of Environmental Health, 2„József Fodor” National Center for Public Health

3Public Health Institute of Town Dorog

BACKGROUND 1.

Dorog • a small town with

about 13,000 inhabitants.

• It used to be a coal-mining area.

• After closing down mining activity, new job opportunities were needed

BACKGROUND 2.

• In the 1980’-ies an incinerator was built here for burning wastes of a pharmaceutical plant.

• In 1996 this was converted into a big toxic waste incinerator with a capacity of 30,000 tons per year.

BACKGROUND 3.

EHSS• EU-funded project: 2004-2006 (Interreg IIIC)• Environmental Health Surveillance System

(EHSS) is being set up in Dorog. • Its aim is to monitor and evaluate the possible

environmental contamination on one side and the changes in the health status of the population on the other side, and to act if necessary

EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT

• Continuous monitoring of air pollution

(PM10, SO2, NO2, CO, O3, benzene)

• Yearly average concentrations of PM2.5

and its metal components

• Dioxin and furan compounds in dustfall (collected monthly)

• Dioxin and furan compounds in mothers’ milk

HEALTH OUTCOMES

• Children's acute respiratory morbidity (CHARM), using the local paediatricians' weekly report • Pregnancy outcomes (normal or preterm births,

birth weight, spontaneous abortions or stillbirths, etc) with the participation of the district nurses, • Number of patients with acute allergic conditions

admitted to the local allergological outpatient unit• Analysis of the mortality patterns of Dorog and its

neighbourhood

Annual averages of CO, NO2, NOx, O3, SO2, PM10 pollution at the

continuously monitoring site in Dorog, 1999-2004

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

concentration

CO(mg/m3) NO2(ug/m3) NOx(ug/m3) SO2(ug/m3) O3(ug/m3) PM10(ug/m3)

Variation of air pollution in DOROG (01 1999 - 08 2004)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

SO2, NO2, µg/m3

0

5

10

15

20

25

Dustfall, g/m2*30 nap

SO2 NO2 Dustfall

Acute respiratory diseases among children in DOROG

2005 Month:from…… till…….

Paediatrician:

0 1-2 3-5 6-14 TOTAL

Number of registered children          

ICD-10Age

group Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

 

0              

1-2              

3-5              

6-14              

 

0              

1-2              

3-5              

6-14              

Incidences of pre-term birth in Dorog, its neighbouring area and County Komárom-Esztergom between 1994-2003.

0,0

2,0

4,0

6,0

8,0

10,0

12,0

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

%

DorogNeighbouring areaCounty

Infant mortality rates in Dorog, its neighbouring area and County Komárom-Esztergom between 1994-2003.

0,0

5,0

10,0

15,0

20,0

25,0

30,0

35,0

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

per

th

ousa

nd

new

bor

ns

DorogNeighbouring areaCounty

• Rapid Environmental and Health Risk

Assessment of the incinerator in Dorog

• Risk perception assessment (P. Gorinski et al.)

• Mortality analysis (G. Nádor et al.)

FURTHER ANALYSES

CONCLUSIONS

• The EHSS should be suitable for immediate intervention when needed

• As the nature and the quality of the toxic wastes burnt in the incinerator may vary time-to-time, besides the assessment of long-term health effects,

• short-term health effects may be even more important

Thank you for Thank you for

your attentionyour attention