Environmental Pollution and Human Health Risks near a Hazardous Waste Landfill. Temporal Trends
Keywords:
Hazardous waste landfill; PCDD/Fs; heavy metals; risk assessment; Castellolí (Catalonia, Spain)Abstract
The human health risk assessment associated to the human exposure to polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and metals for the population living near a hazardous waste landfill (HWL) in Catalonia (Spain) is here presented. In summer of 2009 and 2010, two monitoring campaigns were performed by analyzing the levels of PCDD/Fs and some elements (As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Ni, and Pb) in air and soil samples around the HWL. Airborne pollutant levels were very low and without tendency found depending the distance to the facility, while higher levels were found in soils inside and close to the facility. Anyhow, current health risks associated with those contaminants were within acceptable ranges. Notwithstanding, it is recommended to continue with the monitoring program to detect any potential future change in the health risks.
