Public health problems around the MIWA waste incinerator in Sint-Niklaas (Belgium)

Fred De Baere, Belgian Platform Environment and Health 26feb01

Among the local population around the Sint-Niklaas incinerator in Belgium there are strong suspicions that emissions from the incinerator affects public health. Locals have urged the government and local city council to investigate the matter, though with no success. Finally out of desperation, the locals started their own health research study. The findings made the public no less worried. Nor did the study inspire the government to initiate a more scientific study. The results of the study are summarised below.

For more than 20 years the town of Sint-Niklaas (40,000 inhabitants) has had a waste incinerator. This waste incinerator with a capacity of 55,500 tons a year was built amidst streets where people live. There is no heavy industry in the neighbourhood. From 1977 till 1988 the waste incinerator operated with a limited filter installation (only with a poorly maintained electro filter). It's the only source of industrial dioxin emission in the neighbourhood. For 21 years the ashes were stored and transported in open containers.

A health research was undertaken in "Medlarstreet". "Medlarstreet" is situated within a distance of 300 to 900 meters from the waste incinerator and laterally in the dominant wind direction. In this street, compared to all other surrounding residential areas, the highest dioxin concentrations were measured.

In January 1998 a questionnaire was sent to all families in "Medlarstreet". In this health investigation the participants got the opportunity to report all kinds of health complaints (also animal and plant health) as well as any other observations. We also noted the time when the complaints started, if the complaints had already stopped, and since when they had stopped. Also important to know was how long the inhabitants of the location had been living there, and where they lived before. In total, the questionnaires were distributed among 145 families. 88 families filled in the forms, i.e. 60,7%. We received data of 281 persons.

Health complaints

98 out of 281 persons reported complaints and/or diseases. The study indicated that at a young age (2-9 years) boys are very sensitive to health problems; while the sensitive age for girls’ health problems is situated later (15-19 years). 9 boys out of 10 between 2 and 9 years old had one or more complaints: misdividing of embryonic cells, hyperactivity, light mental defectiveness, colds, bronchitis, dust allergy, skin allergy, allergy to cow's milk, non-closing stomach valve, stenoses of the gastric exit, breathing disturbances, diarrhoea, infections of the bronchial tubes, asthma, motor disturbances, polyps or other allergies.

Deceased females had an average age of 59.9 years (average life expectancy of Belgian females being 77.7 years). For deceased males the average time of death was 64.7 years (Belgian average is 71.3 years). On an average the deceased persons had lived in "Medlarstreet" for 30 years.

The 145 persons living in "Medlarstreet" before 1978 showed 33 cancer occurrences (18 males and 15 females), averaging 1 out of 4.4 persons. 29 of the 33 cancer occurrences appeared during the last 10 years. While in the period of 1986-1988 the cancer frequency was more or less equal to normal occurrence expectations, it was 4.8 times more than the normal occurrence expectations for Belgium in the period of 1995-1997. On dividing the cancer occurrence into 6 main groups, we found an almost parallel increase in all these groups, males and females – except for the group mouth and pharynx cancers in males (19 times more than expected occurrence) and the group of lymphatic and blood system in females (11 times more than expected occurrence).

The full report on the health impacts of the waste incinerator in Sint-Niklaas (Belgium) can be obtained from Fred De Baere, Drielindenstraat 24,B-9100 Nieuwkerken, Belgium, phone and fax: 00-32-(0)3-7661202, e-mail: milieugezondheid@tiscalinet.be