Fetal growth, stillbirth, infant mortality and other birth outcomes near UK municipal waste incinerators; retrospective population based cohort and case-control study

Rebecca E. Ghosh; Anna Freni-Sterrantino; Philippa Douglas; Brandon Parkes; Daniela Fecht; Kees de Hoogh; Gary Fuller; John Gulliver; Anna Font; Rachel B. Smith; Marta Blangiardo; Paul Elliott; Mireille B. Toledano; Anna L. Hansell

doi:10.1016/j.envint.2018.10.060

Fetal growth, stillbirth, infant mortality and other birth outcomes near UK municipal waste incinerators; retrospective population based cohort and case-control study

Rebecca E. Ghosh, Anna Freni-Sterrantino, Philippa Douglas, Brandon Parkes, Daniela Fecht, Kees de Hoogh, Gary Fuller, John Gulliver, Anna Font, Rachel B. Smith, Marta Blangiardo, Paul Elliott^*, Mireille B. Toledano, Anna L. Hansell

^*Corresponding author for this work

Analytical, Environmental & Forensic Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

29 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background: Some studies have reported associations between municipal waste incinerator (MWI) exposures and adverse birth outcomes but there are few studies of modern MWIs operating to current European Union (EU) Industrial Emissions Directive standards. Methods: Associations between modelled ground-level particulate matter ≤10 μm in diameter (PM₁₀) from MWI emissions (as a proxy for MWI emissions) within 10 km of each MWI, and selected birth and infant mortality outcomes were examined for all 22 MWIs operating in Great Britain 2003–10. We also investigated associations with proximity of residence to a MWI. Outcomes used were term birth weight, small for gestational age (SGA) at term, stillbirth, neonatal, post-neonatal and infant mortality, multiple births, sex ratio and preterm delivery sourced from national registration data from the Office for National Statistics. Analyses were adjusted for relevant confounders including year of birth, sex, season of birth, maternal age, deprivation, ethnicity and area characteristics and random effect terms were included in the models to allow for differences in baseline rates between areas and in incinerator feedstock. Results: Analyses included 1,025,064 births and 18,694 infant deaths. There was no excess risk in relation to any of the outcomes investigated during pregnancy or early life of either mean modelled MWI PM₁₀ or proximity to an MWI. Conclusions: We found no evidence that exposure to PM₁₀ from, or living near to, an MWI operating to current EU standards was associated with harm for any of the outcomes investigated. Results should be generalisable to other MWIs operating to similar standards.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	151-158
Number of pages	8
Journal	Environment International
Volume	122
Issue number	July
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2018.10.060
Publication status	Published - 1 Jan 2019

Keywords

Birth weight
Environment
Epidemiology
Infant mortality
Municipal Waste Incinerator
Stillbirth

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1016/j.envint.2018.10.060

Cite this

Ghosh, R. E., Freni-Sterrantino, A., Douglas, P., Parkes, B., Fecht, D., de Hoogh, K., Fuller, G., Gulliver, J., Font, A., Smith, R. B., Blangiardo, M., Elliott, P., Toledano, M. B., & Hansell, A. L. (2019). Fetal growth, stillbirth, infant mortality and other birth outcomes near UK municipal waste incinerators; retrospective population based cohort and case-control study. Environment International, 122(July), 151-158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2018.10.060

@article{56ecd9504a8b4531b0edee83ce86740f,

title = "Fetal growth, stillbirth, infant mortality and other birth outcomes near UK municipal waste incinerators; retrospective population based cohort and case-control study",

abstract = "Background: Some studies have reported associations between municipal waste incinerator (MWI) exposures and adverse birth outcomes but there are few studies of modern MWIs operating to current European Union (EU) Industrial Emissions Directive standards. Methods: Associations between modelled ground-level particulate matter ≤10 μm in diameter (PM10) from MWI emissions (as a proxy for MWI emissions) within 10 km of each MWI, and selected birth and infant mortality outcomes were examined for all 22 MWIs operating in Great Britain 2003–10. We also investigated associations with proximity of residence to a MWI. Outcomes used were term birth weight, small for gestational age (SGA) at term, stillbirth, neonatal, post-neonatal and infant mortality, multiple births, sex ratio and preterm delivery sourced from national registration data from the Office for National Statistics. Analyses were adjusted for relevant confounders including year of birth, sex, season of birth, maternal age, deprivation, ethnicity and area characteristics and random effect terms were included in the models to allow for differences in baseline rates between areas and in incinerator feedstock. Results: Analyses included 1,025,064 births and 18,694 infant deaths. There was no excess risk in relation to any of the outcomes investigated during pregnancy or early life of either mean modelled MWI PM10 or proximity to an MWI. Conclusions: We found no evidence that exposure to PM10 from, or living near to, an MWI operating to current EU standards was associated with harm for any of the outcomes investigated. Results should be generalisable to other MWIs operating to similar standards.",

keywords = "Birth weight, Environment, Epidemiology, Infant mortality, Municipal Waste Incinerator, Stillbirth",

author = "Ghosh, {Rebecca E.} and Anna Freni-Sterrantino and Philippa Douglas and Brandon Parkes and Daniela Fecht and {de Hoogh}, Kees and Gary Fuller and John Gulliver and Anna Font and Smith, {Rachel B.} and Marta Blangiardo and Paul Elliott and Toledano, {Mireille B.} and Hansell, {Anna L.}",

year = "2019",

month = jan,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1016/j.envint.2018.10.060",

language = "English",

volume = "122",

pages = "151--158",

journal = "Environment International",

issn = "0160-4120",

publisher = "Elsevier Limited",

number = "July",

}

Ghosh, RE, Freni-Sterrantino, A, Douglas, P, Parkes, B, Fecht, D, de Hoogh, K, Fuller, G, Gulliver, J, Font, A, Smith, RB, Blangiardo, M, Elliott, P, Toledano, MB & Hansell, AL 2019, 'Fetal growth, stillbirth, infant mortality and other birth outcomes near UK municipal waste incinerators; retrospective population based cohort and case-control study', Environment International, vol. 122, no. July, pp. 151-158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2018.10.060

Fetal growth, stillbirth, infant mortality and other birth outcomes near UK municipal waste incinerators; retrospective population based cohort and case-control study. / Ghosh, Rebecca E.; Freni-Sterrantino, Anna; Douglas, Philippa et al.
In: Environment International, Vol. 122, No. July, 01.01.2019, p. 151-158.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Fetal growth, stillbirth, infant mortality and other birth outcomes near UK municipal waste incinerators; retrospective population based cohort and case-control study

AU - Ghosh, Rebecca E.

AU - Freni-Sterrantino, Anna

AU - Douglas, Philippa

AU - Parkes, Brandon

AU - Fecht, Daniela

AU - de Hoogh, Kees

AU - Fuller, Gary

AU - Gulliver, John

AU - Font, Anna

AU - Smith, Rachel B.

AU - Blangiardo, Marta

AU - Elliott, Paul

AU - Toledano, Mireille B.

AU - Hansell, Anna L.

PY - 2019/1/1

Y1 - 2019/1/1

N2 - Background: Some studies have reported associations between municipal waste incinerator (MWI) exposures and adverse birth outcomes but there are few studies of modern MWIs operating to current European Union (EU) Industrial Emissions Directive standards. Methods: Associations between modelled ground-level particulate matter ≤10 μm in diameter (PM10) from MWI emissions (as a proxy for MWI emissions) within 10 km of each MWI, and selected birth and infant mortality outcomes were examined for all 22 MWIs operating in Great Britain 2003–10. We also investigated associations with proximity of residence to a MWI. Outcomes used were term birth weight, small for gestational age (SGA) at term, stillbirth, neonatal, post-neonatal and infant mortality, multiple births, sex ratio and preterm delivery sourced from national registration data from the Office for National Statistics. Analyses were adjusted for relevant confounders including year of birth, sex, season of birth, maternal age, deprivation, ethnicity and area characteristics and random effect terms were included in the models to allow for differences in baseline rates between areas and in incinerator feedstock. Results: Analyses included 1,025,064 births and 18,694 infant deaths. There was no excess risk in relation to any of the outcomes investigated during pregnancy or early life of either mean modelled MWI PM10 or proximity to an MWI. Conclusions: We found no evidence that exposure to PM10 from, or living near to, an MWI operating to current EU standards was associated with harm for any of the outcomes investigated. Results should be generalisable to other MWIs operating to similar standards.

AB - Background: Some studies have reported associations between municipal waste incinerator (MWI) exposures and adverse birth outcomes but there are few studies of modern MWIs operating to current European Union (EU) Industrial Emissions Directive standards. Methods: Associations between modelled ground-level particulate matter ≤10 μm in diameter (PM10) from MWI emissions (as a proxy for MWI emissions) within 10 km of each MWI, and selected birth and infant mortality outcomes were examined for all 22 MWIs operating in Great Britain 2003–10. We also investigated associations with proximity of residence to a MWI. Outcomes used were term birth weight, small for gestational age (SGA) at term, stillbirth, neonatal, post-neonatal and infant mortality, multiple births, sex ratio and preterm delivery sourced from national registration data from the Office for National Statistics. Analyses were adjusted for relevant confounders including year of birth, sex, season of birth, maternal age, deprivation, ethnicity and area characteristics and random effect terms were included in the models to allow for differences in baseline rates between areas and in incinerator feedstock. Results: Analyses included 1,025,064 births and 18,694 infant deaths. There was no excess risk in relation to any of the outcomes investigated during pregnancy or early life of either mean modelled MWI PM10 or proximity to an MWI. Conclusions: We found no evidence that exposure to PM10 from, or living near to, an MWI operating to current EU standards was associated with harm for any of the outcomes investigated. Results should be generalisable to other MWIs operating to similar standards.

KW - Birth weight

KW - Environment

KW - Epidemiology

KW - Infant mortality

KW - Municipal Waste Incinerator

KW - Stillbirth

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85059254326&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.envint.2018.10.060

DO - 10.1016/j.envint.2018.10.060

M3 - Article

C2 - 30472002

AN - SCOPUS:85059254326

SN - 0160-4120

VL - 122

SP - 151

EP - 158

JO - Environment International

JF - Environment International

IS - July

ER -

Fetal growth, stillbirth, infant mortality and other birth outcomes near UK municipal waste incinerators; retrospective population based cohort and case-control study

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this