ArticleBMJ open2019
Do emissions from landfill fires affect pregnancy outcomes? A retrospective study after arson at a solid waste facility in Sicily.
Article in BMJ open, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Prioritizing dumpsite risks and interventions: an overview and framework for action with a focus on LMICs.Environmental monitoring and assessment · 2025Review
- The health impact of hazardous waste landfills and illegal dumps contaminated sites: An epidemiological study at ecological level in Italian Region.Frontiers in public health · 2023Article
- The Management of Health Hazards Related to Municipal Solid Waste on Fire in Europe: An Environmental Justice Issue?International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020Article
- Proposal for an Alliance Between Healthcare and Legal Area Professionals for Shared Public Health and Preventive Strategies in Italy and Europe.Frontiers in public health · 2020Article
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Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesIn response to public health concern about effects of arson at solid waste management plants in July 2012, we analysed vital statistics data to evaluate any potential effect on pregnancies at different gestational ages of pollutants emitted from the landfill on fire.
settingA community living near the largest landfill plant in Sicily.
participantsThe study group comprised 551 births, live births and stillbirths from pregnancies of mothers residing in the extra-urban exposed area, conceived during a 40 week period during which the highest fire's peak might have influenced pregnancy. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Birth outcomes (gestational age <37 and <32 weeks, low birth weight, very low birth weight and small for gestational age) in the study group were compared with the ones of a reference group of women residing in areas of Sicily with similarly low population density and industrial development.
resultsAmong singleton live births we observed a three-fold increase in risk of very preterm birth between the extra-urban area and the remaining low inhabitants density and unindustrialised areas for births whose pregnancies were in the third trimester (OR adjusted for maternal age and infant gender=3.41; 95% CI 1.04 to 11.16). There was an excess of very low birth weight singleton infants in the study group as compared with the reference group, which was limited to births to mothers exposed during periconception period (OR adjusted for maternal age and infant gender=4.64; 95% CI 1.04 to 20.6) and first trimester (OR adjusted for maternal age and infant gender=3.66; 95% CI 1.11 to 12.1). The association estimates were imprecise due to the small number of outcomes recorded.
conclusionsThe study documented an excess of very preterm and very low birth weight among infants born to mothers exposed to the landfill fire emissions during conception or early pregnancy.
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