Risk of congenital anomalies around a municipal solid waste incinerator: a GIS-based case-control study

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Pubblicato Martedì, 10 Febbraio 2009 18:21

Vinceti M, Malagoli C, Fabbi S, Teggi S, Rodolfi R, Garavelli L, Astolfi G, Rivieri F.
Int J Health Geogr. 2009 Feb 10;8:8. PMID: 19208225

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Waste incineration releases into the environment toxic substances having a teratogenic potential, but little epidemiologic evidence is available on this topic. We aimed at examining the relation between exposure to the emissions from a municipal solid waste incinerator and risk of birth defects in a northern Italy community, using Geographical Information System (GIS) data to estimate exposure and a population-based case-control study design. By modelling the incinerator emissions, we defined in the GIS three areas of increasing exposure according to predicted dioxins concentrations. We mapped the 228 births and induced abortions with diagnosis of congenital anomalies observed during the 1998-2006 period, together with a corresponding series of control births matched for year and hospital of birth/abortion as well as maternal age, using maternal address in the first three months of pregnancy to geocode cases and controls.
RESULTS: Among women residing in the areas with medium and high exposure, prevalence of anomalies in the offspring was substantially comparable to that observed in the control population, nor dose-response relations for any of the major categories of birth defects emerged. Furthermore, odds ratio for congenital anomalies did not decrease during a prolonged shut-down period of the plant.
CONCLUSION: Overall, these findings do not lend support to the hypothesis that the environmental contamination occurring around an incineration plant such as that examined in this study may induce major teratogenic effects.

The epidemiology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in Reggio Emilia, Italy

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Pubblicato Mercoledì, 31 Dicembre 2008 18:24

Bonvicini F, Vinceti M, Marcello N, Rodolfi R, Rinaldi M.
Amyotroph Lateral Scler. 2008 Dec;9(6):350-3 PMID: 18615339

Abstract

Incidence and mortality rates of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) vary between countries, and in some studies appear to increase over time. We performed a study to assess ALS incidence in a northern Italy area over a 10-year period. We identified the new cases of probable or definite ALS diagnosed among residents in Reggio Emilia province between 1996 and 2005 using several sources of data, such as death certificates, clinical records, hospital discharge registers and drug prescriptions. A total of 94 newly-diagnosed patients were identified. The average standardized incidence in the period was 2.0 and 1.0 cases/100,000/year, using the Italian and the world population, respectively, as reference. There was no variation in rates over time. Incidence was 1.3 in males and 0.8 in females. No cases were observed in patients under 35 years of age. Incidence increased after the age of 55 years, reaching a peak in the group aged 70-74 years and declining thereafter. We concluded that ALS incidence in this population was similar to that observed in other Italian regions and European countries, and no variation was identified during the study period.

Adverse pregnancy outcomes in a population exposed to the emissions of a municipal waste incinerator

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Pubblicato Lunedì, 15 Dicembre 2008 18:22

Vinceti M, Malagoli C, Teggi S, Fabbi S, Goldoni C, De Girolamo G, Ferrari P, Astolfi G, Rivieri F, Bergomi M.
Sci Total Environ. 2008 Dec 15;407(1):116-21. PMID: 18824255

Abstract

Some contaminants emitted by municipal waste incinerators are believed to adversely affect reproductive health in the exposed populations; yet only limited and conflicting epidemiologic evidence on this issue has been provided so far. In this study we analyzed rates of spontaneous abortion and prevalence at birth of congenital anomalies in women residing or working near the municipal solid waste incinerator of Modena, northern Italy, during the 2003--2006 period and who experienced higher levels of exposure to polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans, compared to the remaining municipal population. In women residing in two areas close to the incinerator plant with increasing exposure to dioxins, we did not detect an excess risk of miscarriage (relative risk [RR] 1.00, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.65-1.48) and of birth defects (RR 0.64, 95% CI 0.20-1.55), nor did any indication of dose-response relation emerge. Among female workers employed in the factories located in the exposed areas, we did not observe a higher risk of spontaneous abortion (RR 1.04, 95% CI 0.38-2.30); however, an increase in prevalence of birth defects was noted (RR 2.26), although this risk estimate was statistically very unstable (95% CI 0.57-6.14). Overall, the study results provide little evidence of an excess risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes in women exposed to emissions from a modern municipal solid waste incinerator.

Food intake and risk of cutaneous melanoma in an Italian population

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Pubblicato Venerdì, 28 Novembre 2008 18:24

Vinceti M, Bonvicini F, Pellacani G, Sieri S, Malagoli C, Giusti F, Krogh V, Bergomi M, Seidenari S.
Eur J Clin Nutr. 2008 Nov;62(11):1351-4. PMID: 17657227

Abstract

We investigated the association of melanoma risk with food consumption in a northern Italian population in which disease risk was shown to correlate with linoleic acid and soluble carbohydrates intake. We collected information regarding the habitual consumption of 188 food items in 59 patients with newly diagnosed cutaneous melanoma and 59 sex- and age-matched population controls. In the unadjusted analyses, the intake of several foodstuffs directly or inversely correlated with melanoma risk. In multivariate analysis adjusting for several potential confounders, risk correlated directly with vegetable oil intake and inversely with consumption of crispbreads and rusks. Overall, most of the food items rich in linoleic acid and soluble carbohydrates were unrelated to disease risk. Despite the limited statistical precision of the point estimates, these findings seem to indicate that consumption of specific foods may influence melanoma risk.

Diet and melanoma risk: effects of choice of hospital versus population controls

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Dettagli
Pubblicato Venerdì, 31 Ottobre 2008 18:22

Malagoli C, Vinceti M, Pellacani G, Sieri S, Krogh V, Seidenari S, Bergomi M.
Tumori. 2008 Sep-Oct;94(5):669-73. PMID: 19112938

Abstract

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: Hospital-referred subjects are widely used as controls in studies on the relation between diet and cancer risk. However, concern has been raised about the potential for bias of such type of referents, and few studies seem to have examined their reliability in estimating dietary habits of the underlying general population.
METHODS: In a northern Italian setting, the differences in dietary patterns between 41 individuals referred for non-neoplastic lesions to hospital surgical outpatient units and age- and sex-matched subjects drawn from the general population were examined. The effects of such differences when carrying out a case-control study on a neoplastic disease, cutaneous melanoma, were also analyzed. Dietary intake was assessed using the EPIC food frequency questionnaire.
RESULTS: Population controls showed higher intakes of energy, animal proteins and animal fats compared with sex- and age-matched hospital controls, whereas intake of carbohydrates and fiber was comparable. An excess melanoma risk associated with intake of animal proteins and fats emerged when hospital controls were used as the referent group, whereas no such relation was detected when cases were compared to population controls.
CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that hospital-referred subjects may not reflect dietary habits of the underlying general population and may be unsuitable for case-control studies concerning the relation between diet and cancer risk.

Altri articoli...

  1. Waste incinerator and human health: a state-of-the-art review
  2. Case-control study of toenail cadmium and prostate cancer risk in Italy

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