Pulmonary functionality among workers of a Central Italy waste-to-energy plant: a retrospective study
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(2019) 14:20
RESEARCH
Open Access
Pulmonary functionality among workers of a Central Italy waste-to-energy plant: a retrospective study L. Coppeta1* , A. Pietroiusti2, S. Policardo1, F. Mormone1, O. Balbi1, E. Tursi1, S. Baldi1, E. Plutoni1, A. Torriero2 and A. Magrini2
Abstract Background: We are observing a growing trend towards the use of waste incineration in waste-to-energy (WTE) plants in Italy. Various authors started to investigate their potential health effects, but without univocal outcomes. The aim of this study is to assess whether or not main pulmonary function indexes could be decreased in a group of workers employed in a municipal solid WTE plant located in Central Italy, and if there’s a correlation between the levels of exposure to airborne pollutants and alterations in the pulmonary apparatus. Methods: The study was conducted with a retrospective cohort approach. We reviewed data from clinical records of 58 waste-to-energy plant workers undergoing annual health surveillance in the period 2010–2015. We considered the exposure to airborne dust and the main parameters of respiratory function (FVC, FEV1, Tiffeneau Index and FEF 25–75%) at time zero and after a period of 5 years. We divided our study population into two groups: low (< 1 mg/m3) and high (> 1 mg/m3) exposure. We estimated odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) adjusted for potential confounders. Results: We observed a decrease in lung function parameters both in high and in low exposure group after a fiveyears exposure period. FEV1, FEV1/VC ratio and FEF 25–75% were worst in more exposed group, even if this difference resulted not significant at Wilcoxon test. Conclusions: Active employee in WTE plants is associated to a non-significant worsening in the main parameters of lung function after 5 years exposure. Clinical significant of these variations need to be assessed. Keywords: Waste-to-energy, Industry-based, Retrospective cohort study, Waste incinerator, Pulmonary functionality, Spirometry, Respiratory function, Dust exposure
Background Urban solid waste disposal has become a widely regarded issue nowadays and this led to an implementation of various strategies in order to reduce the quantities of material deposited in landfill sites. A growing trend towards the use of waste incineration in waste-to-energy (WTE) plants has been observed in Italy in the last 10 years. Simultaneously, this phenomenon originated concerns on potential health effects caused by this kind of waste disposal procedure. Various studies in literature revealed * Correspondence: [email protected] 1 Department of Occupational Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Occupational Health Service, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
an increased risk for pulmonary, neoplastic and other diseases, in both incinerator plant workers and resident population nearby the plant area [1, 3]. Regarding occupational risk, there are concerns about environmental contamination from particu
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