Microsoft Word - 28-Sau_33067.doc
1403
Original Article
Biosci. J., Uberlândia, v. 32, n. 5, p. 1403-1411, Sept./Oct. 2016
RESPIRATORY DISEASES OF CHILDREN LIVING NEAR A DUMPSITE
DOENÇAS RESPIRATÓRIAS DE POPULAÇÃO INFANTIL RESIDENTE PRÓXIMA A
UM LIXÃO
Claudio Fernando MAHLER1; Saulo Barbará de OLIVEIRA2; Stella Regina TAQUETTE3
1. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia Civil, Grupo de Estudos em Tratamento de Resíduos Sólidos, Universidade Federal do
Rio de Janeiro – UFRJ - COPPE, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil; 2. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Gestão e Estratégia, Universidade
Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro - UFRRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil. saulobarbara@gmail.com; 3. Departamento de Pediatria, Universidade
do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
ABSTRACT: Despite recognition of the socioenvironmental impacts of improper manangement and disposal of
municipal solid waste (MSW), often involiving diseases, few studies have been carried out to investigate the association
between this waste management and health. It is important to know the health status of people living near landfills and
dumps, to make those responsible for managment aware of the need to establish more effective sanitation policies. For this
purpose, we conducted a descriptive case study with primary data on repiratory diseases of children living near a trash
dump. The field work was performed in two periods in 2005 and 2016. In the first, the dump was in operation, while in the
second it had been shut down for about five years. The study was conducted in a city in the state of Rio de Janeiro with a
population of about 47,000 people in 2006. The results indicate that the rates of respiratory diseases among children living
in the area surrounding the dump were higher in 2005 than in 2016, a finding that might be related to the dump’s closure.
In ten cases the decline in the ailments reported by the respondents was significant, led by wheezing attacks after exercise
(26.4 percengage points lower) and pneumonia (16 p.p.lower). In six cases, the rates were slightly higher, suggesting the
need for a more thorough study to investigate this increase. The results are not definitive, but indicate the importance of
the considering the negative health effects of trash dumps and the need to close them or improve the treatment and disposal
of municipal solid waste.
KEYWORDS: Solid Waste Landfill. Trash Dump. Public Health. Respiratory Ailments. Child Health.
Environmental Pollution.
INTRODUCTION
Contamination of the soil and groundwater
has been a growing global worry in recent decades,
and is known to be a serious problem that
particularly afflicts large urban and industrial
centers. Currently, a large portion of the Brazilian
population is exposed to various types of risks,
resulting in high vulnerability, both in urban and
rural areas. Factors related to topography, rainfall
regime, soil sealing in urban areas, insufficient
collection and inadequate disposal of municipal
solid waste (MSW) and hazardous substances can
aggravate these risks. Because of these factors, the
problems caused by contaminated and degraded
areas are increasing, although there is insufficient
knowledge to identify the geographical variation of
these effects and prescribe mitigating measures. The
resulting health problems particularly afflict people
of lower economic classes. More effective
integrated collection and treatment of MSW are
essential for the sustainable development of urban
centers (USÓN et al., 2013). Brazil as a whole
suffers from lack of care by public authorities and
the people who live near water bodies, causing
alarming levels of contamination in many points due
to discharge of raw sewage and dumping of
untreated MSW.
In Brazil in particular, the solution to the
problems of air and water pollution depends on the
action of environmental agencies to establish a set
of measures to discover the characteristics and
impacts caused, so the information obtained can
support rigorous actions to deter violation of rules,
change attitudes and remove or mitigate the sources
of environmental damages. In other words, it is
necessary to establish a clear approach regarding the
most suitable forms and levels of intervention, to
reduce the health risks and improve the safety of the
population. Unfortunately, the population and public
authorities often do not act responsibly with respect
to pollution control, to the detriment of society as a
whole.
With respect to solid waste landfill
facilities, which can be classified as adequate or
inadequate according to the new definition of the
São Paulo State Environmental Company
(CETESB, 2013), several studies have indicated
their negative effects on the health of the
surrounding population, especially of children and
elderly people. Inadequate disposal sites, either
uncontrolled trash dumps or controlled landfills,
obviously have a greater chance to contaminate the
Received: 02/02/06
Accepted: 16/06/16
1404
Respiratory diseases of children... MAHLER, C. F.; OLIVEIRA, S. B.; TAREQUE, S. R.
Biosci. J., Uberlândia, v. 32, n. 5, p. 1403-1411, Sept./Oct. 2016
soil, water and air, with worse effects on the health
of nearby residents, than those caused by properly
managed sanitary landfills.
The problem of inadequate final disposal of
MSW in Brazil is directly related to public
mismanagement and the hidden interests of
municipal government officials and private
contractors (e.g., possible kickbacks for trash
collection and disposal contracts). In more
developed countries such as in the European
Community, which have already learned to take
maximum advantage of trash through recycling,
energy generation and other technologies, the
disposal of MSW in landfills has been drastically
reduced (DOMINGO et al., 2015).
However, despite the significant benefits of
these environmentally sound waste management
practices, most MSW in Brazil is still simply sent to
dumps or landfills. Consequently, the participation
of MSW in energy generation in Brazil is tiny
(MAIER; OLIVEIRA, 2014).
Brazil also suffers from a lack of studies of
the health risks posed by trash disposal sites.
Furthermore, there is a dearth of technical criteria to
assess the post-closure environmental risks, as well
as of suitable strategies for protection of the
environment and human health. (SCHUELER;
MAHLER, 2011)
In developing countries, about a third of the
population lives in cities with environmental
conditions conducive to the spread of parasitic
infections, reaching levels of 90%, with a significant
increase with decreasing socioeconomic level
(VIEIRA; BENETTO, 2013, p.487).
In industrialized countries, the search for
methods to assess the risks to human health and the
environment has been gaining importance as
sanitary authorities and environmentalists become
more aware of the pollution potential of the large
volume of trash generated daily (DOLK et al., 1998;
PORFIRIO et al., 2014).
The effort to formulate concepts to identify
and locate areas that pose risks to human and
environmental health is crucial, because the long-
term practical effects on humans, animals and plants
are potentially severe, far outweighing the costs of
mitigation measures (GOLDENBER, 2000).
For some authors, such as Mattiello et al.
(2013), no doubt exists of the risks posed by trash
disposal sites to the environment and the health of
the people living nearby, due to the emissions of
harmful substances, even in very small quantities, a
position only partially corroborated by Dolk et al.
(1998) and Vrijheid (2000), among other surveyers.
The study by Vrijheid (2000) indicated
problems for people living near solid waste landfills
in Europe, such as lower birth weight and higher
rates of congenital defects, some types of cancer,
allergies, asthma and other respiratory ailments.
Dolk et al. (1998) described a 33% increase in
combined birth defects among people living less
than 3 Km from waste disposal sites in 10 European
regions. They also found significantly higher
incidences of central nervous system deficiencies
and cardiac problems.
Guida et al. (2010) investigated the
genotoxic effects of environmental chemicals on
women living near sanitary landfills in Italy by
analyzing samples of amniotic fluid and detected
DNA damage through changes in randomly
amplified polymorphism DNA profiles.
The question of the possible health risks is
subject to controversy, and can be explained by the
huge range of variables that can affect outcomes,
themselves subject to nuanced interpretations.
Therefore, there is a great need for further survey,
particularly in Brazil, where the problems from
mismanagement of MSW are more severe and
widespread than in developed countries.
Unfortunately, of the more than 5,570
Brazilian municipalities1, more than 2,500 dispose
of their solid wastes in open dumps. The target set
by the National Solid Waste Management Policy
(PNRS, 2010), of ending use of uncontrolled dumps
by 2014, has not been met and the effects of these
inadequate facilities on the environment and nearby
people still represent a serious problem.
According to data from the most recent
National Sanitation Survey conducted by the
Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics
(IBGE), daily generation of MSW in the country
amounts to 259,547 metric tons, of which 86,451
tons/day (35.39%) does not have proper disposal,
being sent to dumps, marshy/flooded areas or
controlled landfills. In other words, of the total mass
collected daily, only 64.61% (167,636 tons) goes to
sanitary landfills. Table 1 shows more details
(IBGE, 2008).
1 The municipality is the local administrative unit in
Brazil. It is akin to a county, except with a single mayor
and municipal council. Municipalities range from lightly
populated rural ones with one or two small towns to
heavily populated urban ones that are part of greater
metropolitan regions. There are no unincorporated areas
in Brazil.
1405
Respiratory diseases of children... MAHLER, C. F.; OLIVEIRA, S. B.; TAREQUE, S. R.
Biosci. J., Uberlândia, v. 32, n. 5, p. 1403-1411, Sept./Oct. 2016
Table 1. Destination of solid wastes in Brazil
Quantity of solid wastes (household and public) collected or received (t/day)
Total Final disposal site of solid wastes collected or received
Dump
Marshy/
flooded
areas
Controlled
landfill
Sanitary
landfill
Composting
Unit
Sorting/recycling
unit
Treatment
and
incineration
unit
Other
259,547 45,710 46 40,695 167,636 1,635 3,122 67 636
Source: IBGE (2008)
Therefore, 86,451 tons/day does not have
proper disposal, and 40,695 tons/day goes to
controlled landfills, where the only type of treatment
is generally daily coverage of the waste with inert
material, which alone is not sufficient to protect the
environment. Worse, the remainder is thrown away,
mainly by low-income people (due to lack of
collection by public authorities), on hillsides, in
water courses, vacant lots, etc. The resulting dumps
lack any measures to protect the environment or
public health.
Although in recent years the disposal of
trash in Brazil has improved greatly, much
improvement is still needed, since according to the
most recent statistics available, 35.38% of the solid
waste generated daily still is not handled properly.
Hence, there is a need to increase the volume
receiving some type of treatment (recycling,
composting or incineration after removal of toxic
material), which only amounts to 4,824 tons/day.
Furthermore, unfortunately not all the landfills
classified as sanitary have adequate monitoring
systems that can assure prompt efforts to control
possible gas emissions, formation of underground
contamination plumes, dangerous movements of the
waste mass or formation of leachate pools, as well
as accumulation of gases within the mass
(MAHLER et al., 2002).
As seen, according to various authors the
proximity of residential areas to solid waste disposal
sites can affect the severity of the health impacts on
the local population. This fact was the main element
motivating the present study.
In another study of the effects of gas
emissions on children living around the same dump
site, carried out in the same year, Real (2005) called
attention to the “index of deaths due to diseases of
the respiratory tract” noted in a study by the IBGE
in 2003. More specifically, he stated that “the index
in the municipality investigated was more than triple
the average found in neighboring municipalities and
others considered as having the same size in the
state of Rio de Janeiro” and that “considering the
scope and representation of the surveys of the
IBGE, this is a finding that should be considered in
future studies of the municipality” (REAL, 2005, p.
163).
We investigated the children living in the
vicinity of a waste dump located in a municipality in
Rio de Janeiro state, to evaluate the respiratory
health of this population, in two periods, one when
it was in full operation and the other five years after
its closure, in 2005 and 2016 respectively.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Location and characteristic of the surveyed areas
The municipality studied has an area of
179,680 Km². In 2008, its estimated population
was 47,124 people, with demographic density of
260 inhabitants/Km2 (IBGE, 2010).
Among the municipalities in the state of
Rio de Janeiro, at that time it had the worst
respiratory health indices (IBGE, 2012). For many
years, its trash dump was one of the main
environmental problems of the municipality. The
location of this facility was a particular problem,
because the central part of the town was constantly
affected by the odors. The dump caused
contamination to the soil, water and air.
Between 1975 and 2005, all the MSW
generated in city studied was taken to this
inadequate dump site, located about 20 meters
from the Macacos River. This river traverses the
municipality and is an affluent of the Lajes River,
one of the main water courses in the Guandu River
Basin, responsible for water supply to the city of
Rio de Janeiro and several outlying municipalities
(MUSQUIM; OLIVEIRA, 2002).
The establishment of this dump created a
barrier between the two districts forming the
municipality. Therefore, the presence of the dump
posed an obstacle to the natural expansion of the
urban area.
The dump was deactivated in 2011 and
replaced by a sanitary landfill, located along state
highway RJ 093, in the direction of the adjacent
municipality of Japeri, only a few kilometers from
1406
Respiratory diseases of children... MAHLER, C. F.; OLIVEIRA, S. B.; TAREQUE, S. R.
Biosci. J., Uberlândia, v. 32, n. 5, p. 1403-1411, Sept./Oct. 2016
the old site. This contributed to an increase in the
population residing in the area around the old
dump. Currently about 100 families live in this
area, while in 2005 there were about 50 families,
from which health data on 80 children were
collected, in the first survey, and 22 children in the
second survey.
Much of the area of the municipality
studied is used for farming and stock breeding. The
climate is hot tropical (average temperature above
18 ºC) or moderate (between 18 ºC and 15 ºC) and
moist (only one two three dry months). The air
temperature varies from 18 ºC to 30 ºC, and
average yearly rainfall is 1,224.9 mm, with most
occurring between November and April (the hottest
months) and monthly averages ranging from 109.2
mm (April) to 196.1 mm (January). The trash
dump site is located in an area with gentle
inclination at the foot of a slope rising from the
Macacos River. This topography facilitates the
flow of part of the water and sediments from the
hillside to the river, passing through the dump site
and the surrounding houses. Because of their
location in a valley at the foot of a hillside, the
homes are subject to strong winds, carrying
particulate matter from the dump (SCHUELER,
2005; SCHUELER; MAHLER, 2011)
Epidemiological aspects
This is a non-randomized study, which took
into account the criteria of convenience and
accessibility for site selection and survey subjects.
The study is descriptive, qualitative and
quantitative, but here we only present the results of
the quantitative investigation, as mentioned before.
The field survey was a case study, in which we
evaluated the respiratory health conditions of the
target population.
As stated, we conducted two field surveys,
the first in March-April 2005 and the second in
August 2016. In both, primary data were collected
by a translated version of a questionnaire developed
by the Division of Lung Diseases of the National
Heart, Lung and Blood Institute in the United States.
This questionnaire is designed to assess the
respiratory health of people, and is divided into two
parts, the first targeted at adults and the second to
children. We used the second part of the
questionnaire (NHLBI-US, 1986, pp. 36-47).
Although the questionnaire has 43
questions, in the data treatment we only included the
questions where the responses were considered
consistent.
In the first survey we applied this
questionnaire to children at three primary schools
(in Brazil six to twelve years old), two located very
near the dump and one located 2 Km away. The
questionnaire was handed out to 200 children in the
schools and they were asked to take them home and
have their parents or guardians respond to the
questions on the respiratory health. The
questionnaires were collected on two occasions, 15
and 25 days after delivery. About 100
questionnaires were returned, of which 80 were
judged suitable for inclusion in the study.
In the second survey, the data were gathered
by two researchers, who visited the residences of
people living in the area around the dump site. Each
interview lasted about 40 minutes. The researchers
were accompanied by a member of the community
who had agreed to act as a facilitator.
The questionnaire contains 43 questions
regarding the following specific health complaints:
(a) Coughing; (b) Congestion and/or catarrh; (c)
Wheezing, (d) Disease of the thorax; (e) Allergies;
and (f) Other diseases.
The data from the surveys were recorded on
the questionnaires and then were transferred to a
matrix in an Excel spreadsheet, from which we
calculated the descriptive statistics by counting the
responses tabulated. The percentages of positive
responses to the questions in each group out of the
total number of people surveyed were calculated by
the following formula:
X = N x 100
T
Where:
X = percentage of children;
N = total positive responses;
T = total questionnaires completed.
In the first survey, we carried out a pretest
of the questionnaire directly with the parents of five
children, who answered the questions of the
respiratory health of their kids.
Therefore, the study was conducted in three
stages: pre-test questionnaire (in the first case);
completion of field survey; and tabulation and
statistical analysis of the collected data. In addition,
as mentioned previously, we also carried out an
exploratory and qualitative survey among the
families living around the dump site, whose results
were reserved for another article.
RESULTS
The composition of the waste is the most
important factor in assessing the potential for
generation of biogas from a disposal site. The
1407
Respiratory diseases of children... MAHLER, C. F.; OLIVEIRA, S. B.; TAREQUE, S. R.
Biosci. J., Uberlândia, v. 32, n. 5, p. 1403-1411, Sept./Oct. 2016
potential maximum volume of biogas depends on
the content of the trash, since organic wastes
undergoing decomposition are the source of all the
biogas produced. The composition of the waste in
the dump was mainly organic material (63%),
followed by paper (34%) and rags, glass and metal
(each with 1%) (URRJ, cited in MUSQUIM and
OLIVEIRA, 2002)
Based on this waste composition, it is
possible to conclude that the dump generated a large
volume of gases at the time of the study. As stated
by Porto et al. (2004), the gases generated by waste
disposal sites can potentially cause respiratory
problems.
Table 2 shows the comparison of the results
on the respiratory health of children, found in the
first and second surveys.
Table 2. Comparison of health of children living near the dump site (in percentage)
Evidence of diseases of the respiratory tract First
survey
(2005)
Second
survey
(2016)
Difference
Children with coughing not caused by colds 38.7 27.2 -11.5
Chest congestion or catarrh not associated with colds 26.2 22.7 -3.5
Coughing attack, chest congestion or catarrh for one or more
weeks/year
28.7 18.1 -10.6
Wheezing causing shortage of breath 28.7 22.7 -6
Had two or more of this episode 10.0 9.0 -1
Needed some form of treatment 16.2 18.1 +1.9
Suffers wheezing after engaging in strenuous exercise 40.0 13.6 -26.4
Had some disease affecting the chest that prevented normal
activities for up to three days
11.2 13.6 +2.4
During these diseases, more phlegm released 8.7 9.0 +0.3
Has suffered from sinusitis 3.7 9.0 +5.3
Bronchitis 22.5 13.6 -8.9
Pneumonia 25.0 9.0 -14
Has had tubes placed in the ears for drainage 3.7 4.5 +0.8
Had tonsils and/or adenoids removed 2.5 0.0 -2.5
A doctor diagnosed asthma 2.5 4.5 +2
A doctor diagnosed allergy to some food, medicine, dust or pollen 37.5 31.8 -5.7
- 47.5% of the respondents were girls and
52.5% were boys in the first survey, and 45.4%
were girls and 54.5% were boys in the second
survey.
- 78.7% were in the age range of 10 to 13
years in the first survey and 68.1% in the second
survey.
- 72.5% were in the 5th grade in the first
survey and 72.7% in the second survey.
- 88.7% were white or mixed-race in the
first survey and 77.2% in the second survey.
- 71.2% had been born in the city studied in
the first survey, and 95.4% in the second survey.
- 61.2% lived at the same address for more
than five years in the first survey, and all of them in
the second survey.
About living situation:
In the first survey the majority of the
children (65%) slept with at most one other
person in the same bedroom, and of these, 80.7%
slept alone on a bed. The figures in the second
survey were 22.7% and 72.7, respectively.
In the first survey, 75% did not live with
smokers. In the second survey this rate was
97.5%.
In the first survey 56.2% lived in
residences with 3 or 4 rooms. In the second
survey this rate was 63.6%.
In the first survey 76.2% lived in
households with 3 to 5 people. In the second
survey the figure was 86.3%.
In the first survey 92.5% of the homes
had stoves using compressed gas. In the second
survey all of them had this kind of stove.
1408
Respiratory diseases of children... MAHLER, C. F.; OLIVEIRA, S. B.; TAREQUE, S. R.
Biosci. J., Uberlândia, v. 32, n. 5, p. 1403-1411, Sept./Oct. 2016
In the first survey 38.7% did not have any
animals at home. In the second survey all of them
had some kind of animal (dog, cat or bird).
With respect to health (coughing, chest
congestion or catarrh, and others):
- 38.7% stated they had suffered coughing
episodes not caused by colds in the first survey,
and in the second survey the rate was 27.2%, a
decline of more than 10 percentage points.
- 26.2% reported chest congestion or
catarrh not caused by colds in the first survey, and
22.7% in the second survey, a small decline of 3.5
percentage points.
- 28.7% reported having suffered
coughing attacks, chest congestion or catarrh for
one week or more/year in the first survey, while
in the second survey this was 18.1%, a decline of
over 10 percentage points.
- 40% reported wheezing attacks after
exercise in the first survey, while in the second
survey this was just 13.6%, a steep drop of 26.4
percentage points.
- 11.2% had suffered a respiratory illness
that prevented normal activities for up to three
days in the first survey, while in the second
survey this was 4.5%, a slight drop of 6.7
percentage points.
- 8.7% released more phlegm during these
illnesses in the first survey, and in the second
survey this was 9%, a small decline of 2.3
percentage points.
- 37.5% had been diagnosed as allergic to
some food, medicine, dust or pollen in the first
survey, while in the second survey this was
31.8%, 5.6 percentage points less.
Table 3 reports some measures of central
tendency and dispersion of chest congestion or
catarrh.
Table 3. Measures of central tendency and dispersion
First survey
Mean Standard
Deviation
Maximum Minimum
27.3 12.9 40.0 8.7
Second survey
17.2 11.1 31.8 2.3
Other respiratory ailments
- 3.7% reporting having had sinusitis in the
first survey and 9.05 in the second survey, an
increase of 6.3 percentage points.
- 22.5% reporting having had bronchitis in
the first survey and 13.6% in the second survey, a
decline of 8.9 percentage points.
- 25% reported having had pneumonia in the
first survey and 9.0% in the second survey, a drop
of 16 percentage points.
- 16.2% reported suffering from asthma in
the first survey and 4.5% in the second, a decline
of 11.5 percentage points.
Table 3 shows some measures of central
tendency and dispersion of these ailments.
Table 3. Measures of central tendency and dispersion
First survey
Mean Standard
Deviation
Maximum Minimum
16.9 9.5 25.0 3.8
Second survey
9.0 3.7 13.6 4.5
DISCUSSION
This study investigated the prevalence of
respiratory diseases among children living near a
dumpsite, where the main disease indices declined
five years after its closure. The results indicate more
directly that the reduction might be associated with
the closure of the trash dump. However, other
factors also could have contributed: a) improved
standard of living of these families; b) reduction in
the number of smokers per dwelling; c)
disappearance of dwelling using firewood for
cooking; and d) reduced presence of particulate
matter in the air.
1409
Respiratory diseases of children... MAHLER, C. F.; OLIVEIRA, S. B.; TAREQUE, S. R.
Biosci. J., Uberlândia, v. 32, n. 5, p. 1403-1411, Sept./Oct. 2016
From the first to the second survey, some of
the indices suggest more significant reduction.
The number of children who sleep in a room
with at least one other person declined 42.3%, and
8% for those sleeping in the same bed with one or
more other persons. The average number of smokers
per residence also declined, by 22.5% in residences
in general, and increased by 10.1% in residences
with 4 or 5 rooms. Finally, in the second survey, no
respondents reported cooking with woodstoves.
Regarding the occurrence of coughing,
congestion or catarrh, the following indices should
be mentioned: decline of 11.5% in the number of
children with coughs not caused by colds, 10.6%
fewer children suffering from coughing attacks,
chest congestion or catarrh for a week or more per
year, and 26.4% fewer children with wheezing
crises.
With respect to other respiratory problems,
the number of cases of children with breathing
difficulty after some type of physical exercise
declined 6.7%, the number of kids with some type
of allergy fell by 5.6%, occurrences of bronchitis
declined by 8.9%, pneumonia cases decreased by
16%, and the asthma rate fell by 11.5%.
CONCLUSIONS
At the time of the first survey, the city
studied was among the roughly half of Brazilian
municipalities with environmental problems due to
mismanagement of MSW. Besides the bad smell,
visual ugliness, presence of vultures, rats and
mosquitoes, emission of particulate matter, gases
and leachate, etc., the dump studied, located close to
the city center, caused environmental damage and a
range of health maladies for the people living
around it.
In contrast, at the time of the second survey,
the dump had been closed for some five years and
we observed a considerable reduction of these
problems, although noting the emission of gases
through drain pipes. We also observed the presence
of leachate flowing toward the Macacos River, In
general, all those interviews reported discomfort
because of the foul odor.
In the first survey, we found a higher
incidence of respiratory problems among the
population investigated in comparison to the second
one, with the declines in the indicators of problems
in 10 questions, such as a drop of 10 percentage
points in problems related to coughing, chest
congestion or catarrh. In the case of wheezing
attacks after exercise the decline was 26.4
percentage points, for pneumonia 16 percentage
points and for asthma 11.5 percentage points.
Of particular interest is the fact, as stated in
the introduction, that in 2003 the city studied had a
death rate from respiratory problems three times the
statewide average.
Therefore, despite the findings of other
researchers of non-significant indices of diseases
among people living near MSW landfills, especially
in developed countries, as reported in the studies
described before in this article, the Brazilian case,
and that of the state of Rio de Janeiro in particular,
stands apart. The high percentage of Brazilian
municipalities that still do not have adequate waste
treatment is an indication that the problem of
negative health impacts caused by living near
dump/landfill sites is far from being solved.
Comparison of the results of the first and
second surveys indicates that the health problems of
the children living near the former trash dump
diminished after its closure, in some cases
significantly.
Due to the limited samples size and the
normal difficulties of measuring questions involving
health problems, new studies should be conducted,
including in other places with similar conditions.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We thank CAPES, CNPq and FAPERJ for
funding, the biologist Bruno Iespa, and the technical
advisor Mario de Araujo de Almeida Neto for
technical assistance.
RESUMO: Apesar de reconhecidos os impactos socioambientais causados pelo manejo e disposição irregulares
dos resíduos sólidos urbanos (RSU), muitas vezes relacionados à incidência de doenças, poucos estudos têm sido
realizados com o intuito de verificar a associação entre os efeitos do seu gerenciamento inadequado e a saúde. É
importante conhecer o estado de saúde da população residente nas proximidades de aterros de RSU visando conscientizar
os responsáveis pelo seu gerenciamento sobre a necessidade de estabelecer políticas mais efetivas nos programas de
saneamento dos Estados. Para isso, foi feito um estudo de caso descritivo e quantitativo com dados primários sobre
doenças respiratórias de crianças residentes no entorno de um lixão. As pesquisas de campo foram feitas em duas épocas
distintas: em 2005 e 2016. Na primeira pesquisa o lixão se encontrava em operação, enquanto que na segunda pesquisa,
estava desativado há cerca de cinco anos. O estudo foi desenvolvido numa cidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro com
população aproximada de 47.000 habitantes em 2006. Os resultados dão conta de que as doenças do trato respiratório em
1410
Respiratory diseases of children... MAHLER, C. F.; OLIVEIRA, S. B.; TAREQUE, S. R.
Biosci. J., Uberlândia, v. 32, n. 5, p. 1403-1411, Sept./Oct. 2016
crianças residentes próximas ao aterro estudado apresentam índices mais elavados, na primeira, com declínio, na segunda
pesquisa, e que este fato pode estar relacionado com o fechamento do lixão. Em dez casos o declinio das doenças relatadas
pelos sujeitos da pesquisa é significativo, como por exemplo, assovio ou chiado no peito (de 26.4% menor) e pneumonia
(16% menor). Em outros 6 casos os índices são levemente mais elevados, sugerindo a necessida de realização de um
estudo mais profundo de modo a investigar este aumento. Os resultados não são definitivos, mas indicam a importância de
fechamento dos lixões, seus possíveis efeitos negativos à saúde e melhores tratamentos e disposições de residuos solidos
urbanos.
PALAVRAS CHAVE: Aterro de Residuos Sólidos. Depósito de Lixo. Saúde Pública; Trato Respitatório.
Poluição Ambiental.
REFERENCES
CETESB. Inventário Estadual de Resíduos Sólidos Urbanos, 2012 – CETESB. Coordenação Cristiano
Kenji Iwai, Maria Heloisa P. Assumpção; redação Maria Heloisa P. Assumpção, Cristiano Kenji Iwai; equipe
técnica Maria Heloisa P. Assumpção, et al. São Paulo, 2013.
DOLK, H.; VRIJHEID, M.; ARMSTRONG, B.; ABRAMSKY, L.; BIANCHI, F.; GARNE, E.; NELEN, V.;
ROBERT, E.; SCOTT, J. E.; STONE, D. Risk of congenital anomalies near hazardous-waste landfill sites in
Europe: the EUROHAZCON study. Lancet., London, v. 352, n. 9126, p. 423–427, aug., 1998.
DOMINGO, J. L.; ROVIRA, H.; NADAL, M.; FIGUERAS, M. J.; SCHUHMACHER, M. Health Risks for the
population living in the vicinity of an Integrated Waste Management Facility: Screening environmental
pollutants. Science of Total Environment, Amsterdam, v. 518-519, p. 363-370, jun., 2015.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.03.010
FIELDER, H. M. P.; POON-KING, C. M.; MOSS, N.; COLEMAN, G. Assessment of impact on health of
residents living near the Nant-y-Gwyddon landfill use: retrospective analysis. BMJ., London, v. 320 (7226), p.
19-23, jan., 2000. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.320.7226.19
FORASTIERE, F.; BADOLONI, C.; DE HOOGH, K.; VON KRAUS, M. K.; MARTUZZI, M.; MITIS, F.;
PALKOVICOVA, L.; PORTA, D.; PREISS, P.; RANZI, A.; PERUCCI, C. A.; BRIGGS, D. Health impact
assessment of waste management facilities in three European countries. Environmental Health., London, v. 2,
p. 10-53, jun., 2011. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1476-069X-10-53
GOLDENBER, M. A arte de pesquisar: como fazer pesquisa qualitativa em Ciências Sociais. Rio de
Janeiro: Record, 2000, 57 p.
GUIDA, M.; GUIDA, M.; DE FELICE, B.; SANTAFEDE, D.; D’ALESSANDRO, F.; SARDO, A.D.S.;
SCOGNAMIGLIO, M.; FERRARA, C.; BIFULCO, G.; NAPPI, C. Assessment of DNA Damage by RAPD in
Paracentrotus lividus Embryos Exposed to Amniotic Fluid from Residents Living. Journal of Biomedicine
and Biotechnology., New York, v. 1, Article ID 251767, 7 pages, jul., 2010.
IBGE. Pesquisa Nacional de Saneamento Básico – 2008. Available at:
. Consulted on: September 10,
2015.
_____. Censo 2010, Cidades. Available at:
. Consulted on: August 20, 2016.
_____. Produção de Paracambi: dados de 2012. Available at:
. Consulted on: August 30, 2015.
MAHLER, C.F.; ARAÚJO, F.; PARANHOS, R. . Poluição: poluição aquática e resíduos sólidos. Rio de
Janeiro: Núcleo de Produção Editorial Aquarius/Fundação Bio-Rio, 2002. 132 p.
1411
Respiratory diseases of children... MAHLER, C. F.; OLIVEIRA, S. B.; TAREQUE, S. R.
Biosci. J., Uberlândia, v. 32, n. 5, p. 1403-1411, Sept./Oct. 2016
MAIER, S.; OLIVEIRA, L. B. Economic feasibility of energy recovery from solid waste in the light of Brazil's
waste policy: The case of Rio de Janeiro. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews., Washington DC, n.
35, p. 484-498, may, 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2014.04.025
MATTIELLO, M.; CHIODINI, P.; BIANCO, E.; FORGIONE, N.; FLAMMIA, I.; GALLO, C.; PIZZUTI, R.;
PANICO, S. Health effects associated with the disposal of solid waste in landfills and incinerators in
populations living in surrounding areas: a systematic review. Int J Public Health., Bern, n. 58, p. 725-735, jul.,
2013. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00038-013-0496-8
MUSQUIM, V. S.; OLIVEIRA, C. L. S. Aspectos da política municipal de resíduos sólidos do município de
Paracambi – R.J. Rio de Janeiro, NADC/UFRJ, 2002, 132 p.
NHLBI-US. Recommended Respiratory Disease Questionnaires for Usewith Adults and Children in
Epidemiological Research, 1986. Availabe at:
; Consulted on: July 22, 2004.
PACHECO, E. B. A. V.; RONCHETI, L. M.; MASANET, E. An Overview of Plastic Recycling in Rio de
Janeiro. Resources, Conservantion and Recycling,. Bern, n. 60, p. 140-146, dec., 2012.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2011.12.010
PNRS. Politica Nacional de Residuos Solidos: Lei no. 12.310, de 2 de agosto de 2010. Available at:
. Consulted on: September 11,
2015.
PORFIRIO, B.; GOMES, J.; JANISSEK, P. R. Human health risk assessment of the municipal solid waste
landfill at Morretes. Eng Sanit Ambient., Rio de Janeiro, v. 19 n. 4, p. 441-452. oct./dec., 2014.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1413-41522014019000000444
PORTO, M. F. S.; JUNCÁ, D. C. M.; GONÇALVES, R. S.; FILHOTE, M. I. F. Lixo, trabalho e saúde: um
estudo de caso com catadores em um aterro metropolitano no Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Cad. Saúde Pública., Rio
de Janeiro, v. 20, n. 6, p. 1503-1514, nov./dec., 2004.
REAL, J. L. G. Riscos Ambientais em Aterros de Resíduos Sólidos com Ênfase na Emissão de Gases.
2005. 173 f. Dissertação (Mestrado em Engenharia Civil) – Curso de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia Civil.
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 2005.
SCHUELER, A. S. Estudo de caso e proposta para classificação de áreas degradadas por disposição de
resíduos sólidos urbanos. 2005. 278 f. Tese (Doutorado em Engenharia Civil) – Curso de Pós-Graduação em
Engenharia Civil, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 2005.
SCHUELER, A. S.; MAHLER, C. F. Classification Method for Urban Solid Waste Disposal Sites. Journal of
Environmental Protection., Delaware, v. 2, p. 473-481, jun., 2011. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/jep.2011.24055.
USÓN, A. A.; FERREIRA, G.; VÁSQUEZ, D. Z; BRIBIAN, I. Z.; SASTRESA, E. L. Environmental-benefits
analysis of two urban waste colletion systems. Science of total Environment., London, v. 463-464, p. 72-77,
may, 2013. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.05.053
VIEIRA, D. E. A.; BENETTON, M. L. F. N. Environment Factors Associate With the Occurrence of
Enteroparasitosis in Patients Assisted in the Public Heath Net in Manaus, State of Amazonas, Brazil. Biosci. J.,
Uberlândia, v. 29, n. 2, p. 487-498, mar./apr. 2013.
VRIJHEID, M. Health effects of residence near hazardous waste landfill sites: a review of epidemiologic
literature. Environ Health Perspect., London, v. 108(Suppl.1), p. 101–112, mar., 2000.