Birth defects in newborn children occur more frequently in those living near landfill dumps, according to a major new British study. The researchers said the increased risks were small but measurable and stressed they had not proved the dumps were the cause of the abnormalities.
The huge study, involving an analysis of 8.2 million births between 1982 and 1997, found the increased risk for defects such as spina bifida were about 7 per cent.
The increased risk for very low birth weights was about 6 per cent, according to the study published in the British Medical Journal.
The team from Imperial College London looked at birth-defect risks for people living within 2 km of landfill sites. One of the most striking findings was that 80 per cent of the UK population lived within this increased risk zone, making it a significant public health issue.
The research focused on stillbirths, congenital abnormalities, cardiovascular defects, abdominal wall defects and other difficulties in newborns. They compared those living near one of 9,565 dumps against people living in "reference" areas away from dumps. They also looked for any differences that might emerge between domestic waste dumps and hazardous waste sites.
The team discovered no excess risk of stillbirth, but a slightly increased risk for other abnormalities, particularly neural tube defects, which include spina bifida, and low birth weights which can affect a newborn's health.
Results for cardiovascular effects were inconclusive, and there was no apparent difference in risk between hazardous waste and domestic refuse dumps.
"We found small excess risks of congenital anomalies and low and very low birth weight in populations living near landfill sites," the authors report.
The increased risks were small, they note, and so could be accounted for by factors other than the dumps. For example, 34 per cent of the people living near the dumps studied by the team came from the most socioeconomically deprived populations in Britain.
The researchers adjusted their figures to account for smoking, drug use and infections during pregnancy. They acknowledged that other "counfounding factors" made it difficult to identify the cause of the increased birth defects.
Discharges from industries located close to the dumps could be a factor, they said.
They added, however, that further studies were needed to track down the reasons for the increased risk. This included research into possible toxic emissions from landfill sites and different ways that possible pollution could reach those living nearby.