Levels of dioxins and furans in plasma of nonoccupationally exposed subjects living near a hazardous waste incinerator

The potential adverse effects of hazardous waste incinerators (HWI) continue to be a subject of worry. The construction of the first and till now only HWI in Spain finished in 1999. To assess the potential impact of the plant on public health, a preoperational monitoring program was established during the period of construction. The main goal of the present study was to determine, after approximately 3 years of regular operations in the facility, the concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) in plasma of nonoccupationally exposed subjects living near the HWI. Blood samples were obtained from 20 volunteers aged 19-62 years. The mean PCDD/F concentration in plasma was 15.70 pg I-TEQ/g lipid (range 4.66- 29.25 pg I-TEQ/g lipid), which is significantly lower than the mean level found in the baseline survey, 27.01 pg I-TEQ/g lipid (range 14.79-48.95 pg I-TEQ/g lipid). Reductions were noted for both sexes and for all age groups. The comparison with PCDD/F levels from a number of different countries shows that, in general terms, the current PCDD/F concentrations are lower than most results recently reported. It is concluded that emissions from the stack of the HWI assessed here should not mean any additional significant exposure to PCDD/Fs for the population living near the facility.