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You'll find information about the health impact of any new waste treatment facility here.Health Protection Agency
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) commissioned a report in 2005 which provided us with insight into the incineration process.The result, known as the Municipal Solid Waste Incineration position statement, was published in November 2005 and looked at concerns about the use of incinerators. This included questions about:
- how waste is managed, including the need to increase the amount of rubbish recycled
- pollution by-products from the incineration process
- the possible impact on public health
- health studies of people living close to incinerators.
“Incinerators emit pollutants into the environment but, provided they comply with modern regulatory requirements, such as the Waste Incineration Directive, they should contribute little to the concentrations of monitored pollutants in ambient air.
"Epidemiological studies, and risk estimates based on estimated exposures, indicate that the emissions from such incinerators have little effect on health.”
You can download the full Municipal Solid Waste Incineration position statement from the Health Protection Agency website
World Health Organisation
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has produced several reports and case studies about waste incineration. Their findings include:- the goal of current waste incineration technology is to treat waste, to reduce its volume and hazard, to capture, concentrate and destroy potentially harmful substances and to recover energy from combustion
- new generation incinerators built with the “best available technologies” (BAT)
are characterized by a flue-gas multi-stage cleaning treatment and guarantee emissions
within the limits specified by the European Directive.
These plants do emit pollutants into the environment but it is unlikely that they would make a significant contribution to the overall background level of air pollution in a particular area, if properly run and maintained, and if adequate waste is processed. However, it is, in fact, still difficult to perform a reliable risk assessment exercise. - the evidence of adverse health effects related to landfills and incinerators
should add to other environmental concerns in moving waste management strategy to
waste minimization and recycling, as prescribed by European Union Directives.
In the transitional period, countries should move toward zero tolerance of poor waste management practice, supported by resources for regulation and enforcement, and invest in technology for lowering emissions to air and water.
