Risk of congenital malformations associated with proximity to hazardous waste sites
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT (United States)
Concern about environmental pollutants has increased; however, it remains unclear whether chronic exposures to toxic chemicals in the environment occur at doses sufficient to produce adverse health effects in humans. To date, community studies have not adequately addressed this question. In this study, the authors linked two existing data bases of the New York State Department of Health to evaluate the relation between congenital malformations and residential proximity to hazardous waste sites in New York State. A total of 9,313 newborns with congenital malformations and 17,802 healthy controls living in proximity to 590 hazardous waste sites in 1983 and 1984 were evaluated. After the authors controlled for several possible confounding factors, results indicated that maternal proximity to hazardous waste sites may carry a small additional risk of bearing children with congenital malformations (odds ratio (OR) = 1.12, 95% confidence interval (Cl) 1.06-1.18). Higher malformation rates were associated with both a higher exposure risk (no exposure risk: OR = 1.00; low exposure risk: OR = 1.09, 95% Cl 1.04-1.15; high exposure risk: OR = 1.63, 95% Cl 1.34-1.99) and documentation of off-site chemical leaks (not exposed: OR = 1.00; exposed, but no leaks at site: OR = 1.08, 95% Cl 1.02-1.15; exposed, and leaks found at site: OR = 1.17, 95% Cl 1.08-1.27). The increased rates detected may be important in terms of their public health implications. Further research is necessary to strengthen causal inferences regarding the teratogenicity, of waste site exposure.
- OSTI ID:
- 7287857
- Journal Information:
- American Journal of Epidemiology; (United States), Vol. 135:11; ISSN 0002-9262
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
CONGENITAL MALFORMATIONS
EPIDEMIOLOGY
XENOBIOTICS
CARCINOGENESIS
CHRONIC EXPOSURE
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
MAN
METALS
NEW YORK
PESTICIDES
PLASTICS
PREGNANCY
RISK ASSESSMENT
SOLVENTS
WASTE DISPOSAL
ANIMALS
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
ELEMENTS
MALFORMATIONS
MAMMALS
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
NORTH AMERICA
PATHOGENESIS
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
PETROCHEMICALS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
PRIMATES
SYNTHETIC MATERIALS
USA
VERTEBRATES
WASTE MANAGEMENT
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology