Cent Eur J Public Health 1998, 6(2):140-143
Health effects of hazardous wastes
- Institute of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health, Sosnowiec, Poland
This paper reviews the published evidence concerning the impact of hazardous waste on the health of the population. Specifically, the paper discusses the place of the topic among other public health priorities, highlights the major problems related to the sources of information, and summarizes the evidence concerning health disorders provided by human studies, mostly by environmental epidemiology observations. The list of potential health disorders that are important in the context of hazardous waste exposures has been put forward by the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease and includes the following conditions: birth defects and reproductive disorders, cancers at selected anatomical sites, immune function disorders, kidney dysfunction, liver dysfunction, lung and respiratory diseases, and neurotoxic disorders. However, epidemiological body of evidence regarding health effects of exposures to hazardous waste is restricted. The published observations suggest a number of specific health outcomes: birth defects, low birth weight, liver impairment, skin, rashes, fatigue, neurobehavioral symptoms, mood disorders and respiratory symptoms. Among other health outcomes cancer was found to be associated with exposures to compounds that occur at hazardous waste sites. Human studies, although hampered by inherent methodological limitations, continue to address the relationship of hazardous waste exposures with the pathology and occurrence of cancer, respiratory disorders, neurotoxic effects, immunosuppression, genotoxic damage and male reproduction. The published evidence, although it has to be viewed in the context of the universal problems associated with the assessment of exposure and health effects, justifies a broad-scale preventive measures that are responsive to the public concerns and involve collaboration between experts in the fields of risk assessment, communication and management.
Zveřejněno: 1. červen 1998 Zobrazit citaci