Table 1.
Landfills—methodology characterizing each research.
| Study Location | Study Design | Study Participants | Study Period | Exposure Source | Outcomes Investigated | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England (UK) | Cohort study (retrospective) | 10,064,382 live births, 52,532 stillbirths and 12,373 terminations | Births between 1983 and 1998 | 8804 landfills, including 607 which handled special (hazardous) waste | The risk of congenital anomalies in relation to an index of geographic density of landfill sites (within 2 km from landfills) | [41] |
| South Africa | Cross-sectional study | 23 children aged 6–12 years residing within 2 km from the landfill site for at least 5 years | Study conducted between November 2013 and January 2014 | The Bisasar Road MSW landfill | Assessment of PM2.5 concentration in indoor environments of the subjects involved in the study and its association with lung function patterns | [37] |
| North Carolina (USA) | Cross-sectional study | 23 participants among people living within 0.75 miles to a landfill | Between January and November 2009 | A MSW landfill | Relationships between H2S, odour, and health outcomes in a community living close to a landfill | [38] |
| England and Wales (UK) | Cohort study (retrospective) | 4,584,541 births in England and Wales | Births between 1989 and 1998 | 6289 landfill sites processing special (hazardous), non-special and unknown waste | The risk of giving birth to a child with Down syndrome associated with residence near landfill sites (within 2 km) | [42] |
| Denmark | Cohort study (retrospective) | 2477 live births with congenital anomalies in Denmark in three different zones of distance from landfills (0–2 km; 2–4 km; 4–6 km) | Births between 1997 and 2001 | 48 landfills | Risk of congenital anomalies combined and congenital anomalies of the cardiovascular and nervous systems with maternal residence in function of distance from landfills | [43] |
| Missouri (USA) | Cross-sectional study | Health survey through 170 households within a 3.2-km radius from a landfill and 173 households more distant (comparison group) from the landfill | Conducted from February to March 2016 | The Bridgeton Landfill in St. Louis County, in which MSW is disposed of | Respiratory symptoms and diseases were assessed, though household interviews | [39] |
| Italy | Cohort study (retrospective) | 242,409 people living within 5 km from landfills | Residents between 1996 and 2008, followed for mortality and hospitalizations until 2012 | 9 MSW landfills operating in the Lazio region, in which the exposure to landfills was assessed using H2S as a tracer in air (calculated with a model) | The association between landfill H2S exposure and mortality (both natural and cause-specific) and hospital admissions for cardiorespiratory diseases was evaluated | [35] |
| Wales (UK) | Cohort study (retrospective) | 542,682 births in Wales between 1983 and 1997. 97,292 births in Wales between 1998 and 2000 |
See previous column | 24 landfill sites for commercial, industrial, and household waste | The increased risk of births with at least one congenital malformation in population living within 2 km from landfill sites, comparing it with population living at least 4 km away | [36] |
| China | Cross-sectional study | 951 children from primary school studying and residing near a landfill. 4 schools within 5 km of the landfill (exposed area). 1 school (non-exposed area) more distant (5.8 km away) | Not specified | A MSW landfill | Association between air pollutants and respiratory health in exposed area, considering lysozyme and secretory immunoglobulin A (which are typically considered as the first line of defence from air pollutants and higher levels show good related health conditions) | [40] |