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

Abstract

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.

The effect of distance on risk perception towards waste incineration plants: a comparison between local residents living within 0–3 km versus 3–8 km in Dongguan, Southern China

“…Waste incineration plants (WIPs) have traditionally been associated with emission of toxic pollutants; however, the current generation of WIPs is far less polluting and more energy efficient than earlier types. Although the available scientific evidence suggests that actual health threats to the general public from the operation of WIPs are unlikely (Nadal et al 2020), the perception of risk from WIPs among the general population, particularly in communities surrounding such facilities, is high (Ren et al 2016). The acceptance of or resistance to WIPs depends on social and public perceptions on the effects of these facilities to their local environment and safety, a phenomenon known as 'not in my backyard' (NIMBY), and the negative effects of such NIMBYs are influenced by prior public information (Li andLi 2021, Liu et al 2021).…”