Relation between malodor, ambient hydrogen sulfide, and health in a community bordering a landfill

Background: Municipal solid waste landfills are sources of air pollution that may affect the health and quality of life of neighboring communities. Objectives: To investigate health and quality of life concerns of neighbors related to landfill air pollution. Methods: Landfill neighbors were enrolled and kept twice-daily diaries for 14 d about odor intensity, alteration of daily activities, mood states, and irritant and other physical symptoms between January and November 2009. Concurrently, hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S) air measurements were recorded every 15-min. Relationships between H(2)S, odor, and health outcomes were evaluated using conditional fixed effects regression models. Results: Twenty-three participants enrolled and completed 878 twice-daily diary entries. H(2)S measurements were recorded over a period of 80 d and 1-h average H(2)S=0.22 ppb (SD=0.27; range: 0-2.30 ppb). Landfill odor increased 0.63 points (on 5-point Likert-type scale) for every 1 ppb increase in hourly average H2S when the wind was blowing from the landfill towards the community (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.29, 0.91). Odor was strongly associated with reports of alteration of daily activities (odds ratio (OR)=9.0; 95% Cl: 3.5, 23.5), negative mood states (OR=5.2; 95% CI: 2.8, 9.6), mucosal irritation (OR=3.7; 95% CI=2.0, 7.1) and upper respiratory symptoms (OR=3.9; 95% CI: 22, 7.0), but not positive mood states (OR=0.6; 95% CI: 0.2, 1.5) and gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms (OR=1.0: 95% CI: 0.4, 2.6). Conclusions: Results suggest air pollutants from a regional landfill negatively impact the health and quality of life of neighbors. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.