Waste not want not - States Assembly

Box 26: Department of Health evidence on the health effects of the
incineration of municipal solid waste: 117
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A report on “Health effects of waste combustion products” published in 1997 by the Medical
Research Council Institute for Environment and Health concluded that epidemiological studies
of people who work or live near incinerators have shown no consistent excess incidence of any
specific disease.
Similarly, a report on waste incineration and public health published in 1999 by the US
National Research Council, concluded that “few epidemiological studies have attempted to
assess whether adverse health effects have actually occurred near individual incinerators, and
most of them have been unable to detect any effects.” The studies which did report any
health effects had shortcomings and failed to provide convincing evidence.
The independent advisory committee on the carcinogenicity of chemicals in food, consumer
products and the environment has considered studies on cancer incidence near municipal
solid waste incinerators. It considers that any risk of cancer due to residency near to municipal
solid waste incinerators is exceedingly low and probably not measurable using most modern
epidemiological techniques. The committee said there was no further need for investigations
of cancer incidence near municipal solid waste incinerators. Their statement can be found at
www.doh.gov.uk/munipwst.htm
These studies suggest that, while health effects cannot be completely ruled out, the potential
effects are so small that they are very difficult to isolate from other potential causes. Indeed,
exposure to risk was hard to measure with any precision.
The Department of Health states it is not aware of any subsequent epidemiological studies that
invalidate these conclusions. Furthermore most of these studies concern older incinerators which
are now required to comply with much more stringent emissions standards.
WASTE NOT, WANT NOT
6.72 Despite this research and the fact that 6.74 Incineration should be treated like any
emissions from incinerators are falling rapidly, other waste management approach. This means
incineration continues to be the subject of a that every effort should be made to ensure that
good deal of controversy. This is particularly they are well regulated. If it is the BPEO for an
with respect to the potential health effects of area, and it is effectively regulated, it should be
even very low levels of emissions.
for local authorities to decide if they wish to use
6.73 The SU’s initial review of the literature 118 this method. Although all residual waste options
should be scaled to ensure they take full account
suggests that whilst there are concerns about
of waste reduction and recycling targets.
the health effects of materials produced from all
waste management facilities, the risks are very 6.75 However, building on the initial review
low and difficult to measure. Like the
undertaken by the SU, there is a case for setting
Department of Health, the review found no up a more comprehensive evidence base on the
evidence of a proven causal link between health and environmental effects of incineration
incinerators and cancer.
and all other waste management options to:
117
Department of Health
118
SU working paper, Enviros Aspinwall, The Context for Emissions and Health Impacts Associated with Waste Management.
This is summarised in Annex J, available on SU website
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