Abstract

A retrospective follow-up study was conducted in 1990 to assess the short-term health impacts of an industrial waste landfill. The site, located since 1979 in a French town of 6 000 inhabitants (about 100 m from the nearest houses) released volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air and provoked intense health concern in the community. The landfill was subsequently closed in 1988. Subjects were 694 inhabitants residing in three different parts of town. Individual exposure was estimated, using a dispersion model of volatile air pollutants and accommodated the daily activity patterns of each individual within the area under investigation. Surrogate morbidity data were derived from measurement of the consumption of drugs prescribed for specific therapeutic categories over a 3-y period (18 mo before and 18 mo after the site was closed). Although differences were not statistically significant, the most exposed subjects had been prescribed more drugs for diseases possibly linked to emissions from the site before it closed than the least exposed individuals. There was a suggestion of a slight trend in the consumption of drugs for ear, nose, and throat and pulmonary ailments with individual exposure levels. These results, and the review of toxicological data for some of the VOCs released by the dump, support the decision to close the site.