HEALTH CONCERNS
Waste contains toxic and hazardous material, including large amounts of plastic. Burning waste releases toxic emissions; you can’t escape them. Even the incineration of safe materials can result in the formation of poisonous discharges.
Waste incineration releases toxins, including dioxins, furans, heavy metals, particulates, PCB’s and PAHs, all known to be very dangerous to human and environmental health.
PARTICULATES
Particulate matter (PM) comprises small airborne solid and liquid matter particles. These airborne particles are less than 10 micrometres in diameter (about a fifth of the thickness of a human hair). They are classified by size: PM10, which are particles less than 10 micrometres in diameter, PM2.5, which are particles less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter, and so on. Fine particles (PM1) and ultra-fine particles (PM 0.1) are the most dangerous due to their ability to penetrate deep into the lungs.
PM 2.5 and PM10 are pollutants most commonly caused by the combustion of wood and fossil fuels such as home heating and traffic. Natural sources include dust, pollen, and sea spray.
Smaller airborne particles are small enough to be breathed in, penetrate the human lung, and enter the blood. This can cause negative health effects on people’s respiratory, cardiovascular, immune, reproductive and nervous systems.
Potential Health Impacts
The size of particles is also essential for health impacts. Generally, the larger particles (between 2.5 µm and 10 µm) breathed in remain in the upper airways. Smaller particles (PM2.5 and smaller) can lodge deeply in the lungs and even enter the bloodstream. Human activities like burning wood and fossil fuels typically produce PM2.5 particles. In the short term, PM10 mainly affects people’s lungs and hearts, ranging from reduced lung function, impaired activities (e.g., sick days off school or work), more doctor visits, and hospital visits. Long-term effects include a reduced life expectancy. Extensive studies overseas that have looked at the impacts of PM10 on population health have not been able to reliably identify a level of PM10 in the area below which there are no adverse health effects. In New Zealand, all regional councils and unitary authorities measure PM10, and an increasing number also carry out PM2.5 monitoring.
The Health and Air Pollution in NZ study, which examined 2016, found 3,300 premature adult deaths and 13,100 hospital admissions associated with PM 2.5. The social cost attributed to PM 2.5 was $62 billion in 2016 alone.
PM10
PM10 includes fine and coarse airborne particles less than 10 micrometres across (about a fifth of the thickness of a human hair). Burning wood, fossil fuels, and various industrial and natural processes produce them. These concentrations are measured in micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3) of air.
Due to their size, these particles can be easily inhaled. The larger particles can get trapped in the nose and nasal passages, causing irritation. The smaller particles (PM2.5, less than 2.5 micrometres across, and a subset of PM10 measurements) can penetrate our lungs, potentially leading to respiratory diseases, heart attacks, and lung cancer.
PM2.5
PM2.5 are fine airborne particles less than 2.5 micrometres across (these are components of PM10). They can be easily breathed deep into the lungs. These concentrations are also reported in micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3) of air.
The health implications of these particles are significant, ranging from respiratory diseases to heart attacks and lung cancer. It’s important to note that most particulate matter from natural sources is larger than 2.5 micrometres across.
https://www.lawa.org.nz/learn/factsheets/air-quality-topic/air-pollutants-particulate-matter
Ultra fine particulates (UFP's)
Tiny particles with big effects.
Ultrafine particles (UFPs) from auto exhaust, factory emissions, and wood burning negatively affect human health and can alter weather patterns. UFPs, particles less than 100 nanometers, smaller than the smallest bacterium, are the most common airborne particles. Their size allows them to penetrate the deepest lung passageways and cross into the bloodstream, sometimes carrying toxic metals or organic compounds that trigger inflammation and disease. Hyouk-Soo Kwon and coworkers at the University of Ulsan, Seoul, South Korea, have reviewed the sources and effects of UFPs. Auto engines and industrial furnaces (including incinerators) are a primary source; recent improvements in combustion technology have produced smaller particles with even worse effects on health. UFPs have also been found to affect cloud formation and behaviour, altering rainfall patterns and potentially causing flooding or drought. Understanding the properties of UFPs will help find ways to mitigate their effects.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7156720/
DIOXINS/FURANS
The World Health Organisation (WHO) provides the following about dioxins.
Dioxins, a type of environmental pollutant, are part of a group of dangerous chemicals known as the ‘Dirty Dozen ‘. This term refers to a list of twelve persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that are particularly hazardous due to their highly toxic potential. Experiments have shown that dioxins can adversely affect many organs and systems.
Once dioxins enter the body, they last a long time because of their chemical stability and ability to be absorbed by fat tissue, which is then stored in the body. Their half-life in the body is estimated to be 7 to 11 years. In the environment, dioxins tend to accumulate in the food chain. The higher an animal is in the food chain, the higher the concentration of dioxins.
KEY FACTS
- Dioxins are a group of chemically related compounds that are persistent environmental pollutants (POPs).
- Dioxins are not confined to a specific region but are a global concern. They are found worldwide in the environment and accumulate in the food chain, primarily in animal fatty tissue. More than 90% of human exposure is through food, mainly meat and dairy products, fish, and shellfish. Many national authorities have programmes in place to monitor the food supply.
- Dioxins are highly toxic and can cause reproductive and developmental problems, damage the immune system, interfere with hormones, and cause cancer. All people have background exposure to dioxins, which has so far not been proven to affect human health. However, due to the highly toxic potential, urgent efforts are needed to reduce current background exposure.
- Human exposure prevention or reduction is best achieved via source-directed measures, i.e., strict control of industrial processes to reduce the formation of dioxins.
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dioxins-and-their-effects-on-human-health
Sources of contamination
Dioxins are mainly by-products of industrial processes but can also result from natural processes, such as volcanic eruptions and forest fires. They are unwanted by-products of many manufacturing processes, including smelting, chlorine bleaching of paper pulp, and the manufacture of some herbicides and pesticides. Uncontrolled waste incinerators (solid and hospital waste) are often the worst culprits of environmental release due to incomplete burning. Technology is available that allows for controlled waste incineration with low (but not zero) dioxin emissions.
While dioxins’ formation is local, their distribution is global. The highest levels are found in specific soils, sediments, and foods, particularly dairy products, meat, fish, and shellfish. This global distribution underscores the need for international cooperation in addressing the issue, as even plants, water, and air contain trace levels of dioxins.
Extensive stores of PCB-based waste industrial oils exist worldwide, many with high levels of dioxins and furans. Long-term storage and improper disposal of this material may release dioxin into the environment and contaminate human and animal food supplies. PCB-based waste is not easily disposed of without polluting the environment and human populations. Developing technologies are being researched to manage this waste stream.
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dioxins-and-their-effects-on-human-health
High levels of dioxin found in Lausanne soils attributed to waste incinerator
In 2021, a significant concern arose as it was revealed that a considerable portion of the soil in the heart of Lausanne, Switzerland, was contaminated with dioxin. This issue directly affected the local community, as residents were advised to steer clear of local free-range eggs and certain vegetables, due to the health risks of dioxin ingestion. The source of this contamination is believed to be the now-defunct Vallon incineration plant, which ceased operations in 2005.
Effects on human health
Short-term exposure of humans to high levels of dioxins may result in skin lesions, such as chloracne, and altered liver function. Long-term exposure is linked to impairment of the immune system, the developing nervous system, the endocrine system, and reproductive functions.
Chronic exposure of animals to dioxins has resulted in several types of cancer. TCDD (2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin) was evaluated by the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in 1997 and 2012. IARC classified TCDD as a known human carcinogen based on animal and human epidemiology data.
TCDD was an active ingredient in Agent Orange, a chemical herbicide and defoliant used by the U.S. military as part of its herbicidal warfare program in the Vietnam War. The government of Vietnam says that up to four million people in Vietnam were exposed to the defoliant. As many as three million people have suffered illness because of Agent Orange. At the same time, the Vietnamese Red Cross estimates that up to one million people were disabled or have health problems as a result of exposure to Agent Orange. The United States government has described these figures as unreliable while documenting cases of leukemia, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and various kinds of cancer in exposed U.S. military veterans. An epidemiological study done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that there was an increase in the rate of congenital disabilities in the children of military personnel as a result of Agent Orange.
Due to the omnipresence of dioxins, all people have background exposure and a certain level of dioxins in the body, leading to the so-called body burden. While current normal background exposure is not expected to affect human health on average, the high toxic potential of this class of compounds underscores the urgent need to reduce current background exposure. This is a crucial step in protecting public health and should be a priority for all stakeholders.
The developing fetus is most sensitive to dioxin exposure. Newborns with rapidly developing organ systems may also be more vulnerable to certain effects. Some people or groups of people may be exposed to higher levels of dioxins because of their diet (such as high fish consumers in certain parts of the world) or their occupation (such as workers in the pulp and paper industry, in incineration plants, and at hazardous waste sites)
A man-made disaster
Here is a short account of the Seveso incident, which happened almost thirty years ago in northern Italy . Prof. Paolo Mocarelli, a medical doctor and university professor who has dedicated many years of his life to studying the effects of dioxin on human health, recounts the incident in great detail [Mocarelli 2001].
HEAVY METALS
Heavy metals are naturally occurring elements with a high atomic weight and density at least 5 times greater than water. Their multiple industrial, domestic, agricultural, medical and technological applications have led to their wide environmental distribution, raising concerns over their potential effects on human health and the environment. Their toxicity depends on several factors, including the dose, route of exposure, chemical species, and age, gender, genetics, and nutritional status of exposed individuals.
Because of their high toxicity, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, and mercury rank among the priority metals of public health significance. These metallic elements are considered systemic toxicants that are known to induce multiple organ damage, even at lower levels of exposure. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, they are also classified as human carcinogens (known or probable).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4144270/
MONITORING (OR LACK OF!)
It’s crucial to note that only a fraction of the numerous chemicals released from an incinerator are actually measured. Shockingly, the three most critical pollutants, dioxins, heavy metals, and ultrafine particles, are left virtually unmonitored, despite known risks to public health.
Project Kea’s Air Quality Assessment report provided by Pattle Delamore Partners (PDP) states the following.
“The plants’ control system incorporates online real-time sensors, measuring the operation and performance of all aspects of the plants’ function, including the performance of the flue gas treatment systems.” and goes on to say
“The performance of the FGT is continuously monitored at the stack outlet through measurement of the following parameters: Particulates, Sulphur Dioxide, Nitrous Oxides, Hydrogen Chloride, Carbon Monoxide, Hydrogen Fluoride, Oxygen and Carbon dioxide. These real-time measurements of performance are made available online to both regulatory authorities and the public.”
However, Project Kea’s dioxin and heavy metal outputs will only be subject to occasional measuring via spot testing. This means that the initial spot tests for dioxins will be carried out every month for the first two years, then every 12 months from years 3 onwards. Similarly, heavy metals will only be spot-tested once every three months, then every 12 months from years 3 onwards, highlighting the limited monitoring and potential risks.
The air quality report fails to mention whether these spot test results will be available to the public.
There will be no testing for accumulative levels of dioxins and heavy metals. These toxins are known to bioaccumulate, meaning any amount entering the environment will eventually reach toxic levels. Despite the ability of fine and ultra fine particulates to cause disease and transport other toxins, these particulates ARE NOT EVEN MENTIONED!
The British Society for Ecological Medicine
The British Society for Ecological Medicine report titled ‘The health effects of waste incineration’ states the following:
“Dioxins from waste incinerators are only monitored at 3–12 month intervals, and then only for a few hours. This means that dioxins are not monitored 99% of the time. It could therefore be many months before high levels of dioxins emissions were detected, perhaps allowing enough dioxin to be released to threaten the health of a whole community and render farms in the vicinity unfit for growing vegetables or rearing livestock. In fact, the operator and the public might never find out, and then steps would never be taken to deal with the consequences.
An added problem is that spot monitoring has been shown to be unrepresentative and to underestimate dioxin levels by 30–50 times. The situation is no better with heavy metals, like dioxins, they are unmonitored 99% of the time.”
https://www.bsem.org.uk/pages/156-the-health-effects-of-waste-incinerators
EU STANDARDS
SIRRL has stated in its Air Quality Assessment report that Project Kea will perform within European Union standards. However, this only relates to monitoring air emissions exiting the stack.
The report provides a table of ‘guaranteed emission values for the project’. These include;
- Particles
- HCI
- HF
- SO2
- NOx
- CO
- TVOC
- NH3
- Hg
- Metals(total)
- Dioxins.
The report also provides a table of emission values from two Chinese CNTY reference plants using the technology proposed for Project Kea to show the plants’ performance within EU standards. However, only one of the reference plants (Shenzhen) performs to EU standards for only five emissions it monitors. The data shows that the second reference plant (Minquan) breaches EU SO2 and HCI output standards.
Chinese W-t-E plants are not required to comply with EU standards or monitor the same emission outputs. Chinese plants are only monitored for the following emissions;
- Particles
- NOx
- SO2
- HCI
- CO
When the Air Quality report was completed, CNTY operated 16 plants in China. So, for the data provided in the report to be a fair overall representation of CNTY plants, an average of all CNTY’s plants should be provided. Furthermore, you cannot reasonably say that measuring five outputs is equivalent to monitoring.
New Zealand currently lacks any specific regulations or monitoring standards for W-t-E plants. While it may be reasonable to assume that EU standards would regulate any plant consented in NZ, the absence of current regulations leaves room for uncertainty and potential gaps in environmental protection.
Acceptable levels versus safe levels.
It’s important to distinguish between what is deemed acceptable and what is truly safe regarding emission levels. This distinction is crucial in understanding waste incineration’s potential health and environmental impacts.
European nations have large populations, resulting in huge volumes of waste. This means some countries are indeed in a waste crisis, meaning they are willing to accept waste incineration’s associated health and environmental costs. According to many researchers, these costs include human death and disease. An air quality consultants report 2020 identified fifteen deaths of London residents directly attributed to five waste to energy plants in operation.
WAIMATE DOCTORS
Following the release of SIRRL’s resource consent application in September 2022, a collective of Waimate’s doctors released an open letter condemning the proposal as a ‘Waste to Poisons Plant.”
The doctors also provided SIRRL with a list of questions related to their concerns about the proposed incinerator’s effects.
Read more about the doctors’ concerns and their communication with SIRRL below.