Assessment of adverse effects of illegal municipal solid waste dumping sites on the environment and human health

Introduction: Non-compliance with the requirements of sanitary and environmental protection regulations when accumulating and disposing of municipal solid waste has an adverse effect on the environment and human health.

Objective: To assess the adverse environmental and human health impact of illegal municipal solid waste dumping sites.

Materials and methods: We have analyzed data on 14 illegal landfills surveyed in the Voronezh Region within implementation of the regional component of the Federal “General Cleaning” Project in 2022–2023. The study was carried out in compliance with Guidelines 2.1.10.0273–22, Assessment of the impact of objects of accumulated environmental damage on human health and life expectancy, including the possibility of conducting a rapid assessment.

Results: Our findings show that the risk of adverse effects ranges from 0.41 to 0.57, being moderate, and that all the illegal dumping sites should be classified as category 3, i.e. as objects subject to liquidation in the medium term according to Guidelines 2.1.10.0273–22. The contribution of spatial factors to the risk level is the highest (28 to 46 %), followed by geological and technological characteristics (18 to 27 %), and general parameters (18 to 27 %). The contribution of environmental characteristics ranges from 8 to 13.6 %. The estimated decrease in life expectancy from illegal dumping sites is less than a year.

Conclusion: According to the results of assessing adverse environmental health effects of illegal solid municipal waste landfills, all of them pose moderate health risks and their liquidation is a substantiated priority.

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