NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS
2101 Constitution Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20418
NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.
This project was supported by Grant No. EPA-R-822039 between the National Academy of Sciences and the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Grant No. DHHS-U5O/ATU39903 from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and U.S. Department of Energy. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the organizations or agencies that provided support for this project.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Waste incineration and public health / Committee on Health Effects of Waste Incineration, Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology, Commission on Life Sciences, National Research Council.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-309-06371-X (casebound)
1. Hazardous wastes—Incineration—Health aspects. 2. Health risk assessment. 3. Incineration—Health aspects. 4. Medical wastes—Incineration. 5. Pollution prevention. I. National Research Council (U.S.). Committee on Health Effects of Waste Incineration.
RA578.H38 W37 2000
363.72'87—dc21
00-009914
Waste Incineration and Public Health is available from the
National Academy Press
, 2101 Constitution Ave., NW, Box 285, Washington, DC 20055 (1-800-624-6242 or 202-334-3313 in the Washington metropolitan area; Internet: http://www.nap.edu).
Copyright 2000 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
National Academy of Sciences
National Academy of Engineering
Institute of Medicine
National Research Council
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. William A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.
The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Kenneth I. Shine is president of the Institute of Medicine.
The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy's purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts and Dr. William A. Wulf are chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the National Research Council.
COMMITTEE ON HEALTH EFFECTS OF WASTE INCINERATION
DONALD R. MATTISON (Chair),
March of Dimes, White Plains, New York
REGINA AUSTIN,
University of Pennsylvania Law School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
PAUL C. CHROSTOWSKI,
CPF Associates, Inc., Takoma Park, Maryland
MARJORIE J. CLARKE,
Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey
EDMUND A. CROUCH,
Cambridge Environmental, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
MARY R. ENGLISH,
University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee
DOMINIC GOLDING,
Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts
IAN A. GREAVES,
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
S. KATHARINE HAMMOND,
University of California, Berkeley, California
ALLEN HERSHKOWITZ,
Natural Resources Defense Council, New York, New York
ROBERT J. MCCORMICK,
Franklin Engineering Group, Inc., Franklin, Tennessee
THOMAS E. MCKONE,
University of California, Berkeley, California
ADEL F. SAROFIM,
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
CARL M. SHY,
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
GEORGE D. THURSTON,
New York University School of Medicine, Tuxedo, New York
Staff
RAYMOND A. WASSEL, Project Director
CAROL A. MACZKA, Senior Staff Officer
BONNIE SCARBOROUGH, Research Assistant
ERIC B. KUCHNER, Intern
KATHRINE IVERSON, Information Specialist
MIRSADA KARALIC-LONCAREVIC, Information Specialist
TRACIE HOLBY, Senior Project Assistant
RUTH DANOFF, Senior Project Assistant
CATHERINE KUBIK, Senior Project Assistant
Sponsors
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. Department of Energy
BOARD ON ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND TOXICOLOGY
GORDON ORIANS (Chair),
University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
DONALD R. MATTISON (Vice Chair),
March of Dimes, White Plains, New York
DAVID ALLEN,
University of Texas, Austin, Texas
INGRID C. BURKE,
Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
WILLIAM L. CHAMEIDES,
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
JOHN DOULL,
University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas
CHRISTOPHER B. FIELD,
Carnegie Institute of Washington, Stanford, California
JOHN GERHART,
University of California, Berkeley, California
J. PAUL GILMAN,
Celera Genomics, Rockville, Maryland
BRUCE D. HAMMOCK,
University of California, Davis, California
MARK HARWELL,
University of Miami, Miami, Florida
ROGENE HENDERSON,
Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, Albuquerque, New Mexico
CAROL HENRY,
Chemical Manufacturers Association, Arlington, Virginia
BARBARA S. HULKA,
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
JAMES F. KITCHELL,
University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
DANIEL KREWSKI,
University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario
JAMES A. MAC MAHON,
Utah State University, Logan, Utah
MARIO J. MOLINA,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
CHARLES O'MELIA,
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
WILLEM F. PASSCHIER,
Health Council of the Netherlands
KIRK SMITH,
University of California, Berkeley, California
MARGARET STRAND,
Oppenheimer Wolff Donnelly & Bayh, LLP, Washington, D.C.
TERRY F. YOSIE,
Chemical Manufacturers Association, Arlington, Virginia
Senior Staff
JAMES J. REISA, Director
DAVID J. POLICANSKY, Associate Director and
Senior Program Director for
Applied Ecology
CAROL A. MACZKA, Senior Program Director for
Toxicology and Risk Assessment
RAYMOND A. WASSEL, Senior Program Director for
Environmental Sciences and Engineering
KULBIR BAKSHI, Program Director for the
Committee on Toxicology
LEE R. PAULSON, Program Director for
Resource Management
ROBERTA M. WEDGE, Program Director for
Risk Analysis
COMMISSION ON LIFE SCIENCES
MICHAEL T. CLEGG (Chair),
University of California, Riverside, California
PAUL BERG (Vice Chair),
Stanford University, Stanford, California
FREDERICK R. ANDERSON,
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, Washington, D.C.
JOANNA BURGER,
Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey
JAMES E. CLEAVER,
University of California, San Francisco, California
DAVID S. EISENBERG,
University of California, Los Angeles, California
JOHN L. EMMERSON,
Fishers, Indiana
NEAL L. FIRST,
University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
DAVID J. GALAS,
Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Science, Claremont, California
DAVID V. GOEDDEL,
Tularik, Inc., South San Francisco, California
ARTURO GOMEZ-POMPA,
University of California, Riverside, California
COREY S. GOODMAN,
University of California, Berkeley, California
JON W. GORDON,
Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York
DAVID G. HOEL,
Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
BARBARA S. HULKA,
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
CYNTHIA J. KENYON,
University of California, San Francisco, California
BRUCE R. LEVIN,
Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
DAVID M. LIVINGSTON,
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
DONALD R. MATTISON,
March of Dimes, White Plains, New York
ELLIOT M. MEYEROWITZ,
California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
ROBERT T. PAINE,
University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
RONALD R. SEDEROFF,
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
ROBERT R. SOKAL,
State University of New York, Stony Brook, New York
CHARLES F. STEVENS,
The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California
SHIRLEY M. TILGHMAN,
Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
RAYMOND L. WHITE,
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
Staff
WARREN R. MUIR, Executive Director
JACQUELINE K. PRINCE, Financial Officer
BARBARA B. SMITH, Administrative Associate
LAURA T. HOLLIDAY, Senior Program Assistant
OTHER REPORTS OF THE BOARD ON ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND TOXICOLOGY
Scientific Frontiers in Developmental Toxicology and Risk Assessment (2000)
Modeling Mobile-Source Emissions (2000)
Copper in Drinking Water (2000)
Ecological Indicators for the Nation (2000)
Hormonally Active Agents in the Environment (1999)
Research Priorities for Airborne Particulate Matter: I. Immediate Priorities and a Long-Range Research Portfolio (1998); II. Evaluating Research Progress and Updating the Portfolio (1999)
Ozone-Forming Potential of Reformulated Gasoline (1999)
Risk-Based Waste Classification in California (1999)
Arsenic in Drinking Water (1999)
Brucellosis in the Greater Yellowstone Area (1998)
The National Research Council's Committee on Toxicology: The First 50 Years (1997)
Toxicologic Assessment of the Army's Zinc Cadmium Sulfide Dispersion Tests (1997)
Carcinogens and Anticarcinogens in the Human Diet (1996)
Upstream: Salmon and Society in the Pacific Northwest (1996)
Science and the Endangered Species Act (1995)
Wetlands: Characteristics and Boundaries (1995)
Biologic Markers (5 reports, 1989-1995)
Review of EPA's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (3 reports, 1994-1995)
Science and Judgment in Risk Assessment (1994)
Ranking Hazardous Waste Sites for Remedial Action (1994)
Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and Children (1993)
Issues in Risk Assessment (1993)
Setting Priorities for Land Conservation (1993)
Protecting Visibility in National Parks and Wilderness Areas (1993)
Dolphins and the Tuna Industry (1992)
Hazardous Materials on the Public Lands (1992)
Science and the National Parks (1992)
Animals as Sentinels of Environmental Health Hazards (1991)
Assessment of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf Environmental Studies Program, Volumes I-IV (1991-1993)
Human Exposure Assessment for Airborne Pollutants (1991)
Preface
The National Research Council (NRC) established the Committee on Health Effects of Waste Incineration to assess relationships between human health and incineration of hazardous waste, municipal solid waste, and medical waste. In this report, the committee explains its findings and recommendations about waste incineration and public health.
Despite differences in waste composition and incineration processes, the same types of pollutants of concern can be emitted by each kind of incinerator. Therefore, the committee took a generic approach in addressing the dispersion of pollutants from incineration facilities into the environment, pathways of human exposure, possible health effects, social issues, and community interactions. The committee did not compare risks posed by the different types of waste incineration, nor did it assess risks posed by any particular waste-incineration facility. As discussed in this report, even within the same type of waste incineration, there is broad variability in the emission patterns of pollutants, facility-specific emission characteristics (e.g., stack height and local weather conditions that can affect dispersion of released pollutants), the number of people potentially exposed to incineration emissions, and the total contaminant burden of those people resulting from all pollutant sources.
It is also important to keep in mind that the committee was not asked to compare the health risks attributable to waste incineration with those attributable to other waste-management alternatives, such as land disposal. Therefore, the committee took no position on the merits of incineration compared with other waste-management alternatives.
During the course of its deliberations, the committee reviewed scientific
literature, government-agency reports, and unpublished data. The committee solicited information from persons representing federal, state, and local governments; academe; technical consulting firms; environmental-advocacy organizations; public-interest groups; and communities with waste incinerators in their environs. Several members toured a facility in Lorton, Virginia that incinerates municipal solid waste. The committee received useful information and perspectives from the following persons, who made presentations to the committee: Germaine Buck, State University of New York at Buffalo; Dorothy Canter, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Frank Caponi, County Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County; Daniel Carey, American Ref-Fuel Company; Fred Chanania, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; David Doniger, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Lawrence Doucet, Doucet & Mainka, Inc.; Heidi Fiedler, University of Bayreuth, Germany; Simon Friedrich, U.S. Department of Energy; Jeffrey Hahn, Ogden Projects, Inc.; Rick Hind, Greenpeace; Wally Jordan, Waste Energy Technologies, Inc.; Steven Kroll-Smith, University of New Orleans; Stephen Mandel, Rosemount Analytical, Inc.; Melanie Marty, California Environmental Protection Agency; Peter Park, Center for Community Education and Action; Mark Pollins, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Jerome Nriagu, University of Michigan; Juan Reyes, Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry, U.S. Public Health Service; Philip C. Sears, Allee, King, Rosen & Fleming; Terri Swearingen, Tri-State Environmental Council; and Stormy Williams, Desert Citizens Against Pollution.
This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the NRC's Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that assist the NRC in making the published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. The committee wishes to thank the following individuals for their participation in the review of this report: John C. Bailar III, University of Chicago; A. John Bailer, Miami University; Gaylon Campbell, Washington State University; A.J. Chandler, A.J. Chandler & Associates, Ltd.; Caron Chess, Rutgers University Center for Environmental Communication; Walter Dabberdt, National Center for Atmospheric Research; Donald Hornig, Harvard University; Kathryn Kelly, Delta Toxicology Inc.; Richard Magee, New Jersey Institute of Technology; Jonathan Samet, Johns Hopkins University; and Kenneth Sexton, University of Minnesota.
The individuals listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions. It must be emphasized, however, that responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the NRC.
The committee is thankful for the useful input of Kun-Chieh Lee and Sanford S. Penner into its deliberations early in the study. We also wish to express our
appreciation to the following National Research Council staff members for their effective support of our work: Raymond Wassel, Carol Maczka, James Reisa, Bonnie Scarborough, Ruth Crossgrove, Ruth Danoff, Tracie Holby, Katherine Iverson, Catherine Kubik, Eric Kuchner, and others.
Donald R. Mattison, Chair
Committee on Health Effects of Waste Incineration