Fact Sheet: Industrial and Municipal Dumpsites – Ranked #5
Estimated DALYs: 1,234,000
What is the industry?
Waste at industrial or municipal dumpsites can include batteries, scrap metal, agricultural
waste, and medical waste from hospitals, household waste and chemical waste from industrial
processes. Dumpsites that create pollution problems generally consist of two different types of
waste disposal, open, unregulated dumpsites and municipal landfills. Open dumpsites are
unregulated informal sites where individuals or industries dump a variety of solid or liquid
waste. Municipal sites that are polluted may be operated by the government or a private entity
but are poorly constructed and employ only limited measures for protection against pollution
and may include abandoned, uncapped landfills.
What are the pollutants?
Lead and chromium are the top pollutants by DALY at dumpsites. They are present through
the disposal of products containing heavy metals, or through industrial waste and hazardous
waste like paint or batteries. Because the diverse nature of waste dumped at these sites,
there could potentially be a much higher impact from the cumulative impact of combined
pollutants, including possible pollutants not yet defined in our site investigations.
What are the exposure pathways?
The main sources of pollutants from dumpsites are either contaminated liquids leaching into
the groundwater, or dust from poorly covered or controlled landfills. Children often are seen
playing in and around dumpsites causing direct contact with hazardous waste through dermal
contact, inhalation of dust or accidental ingestion. Informal workers who sort valuable from
waste are also directly exposed to pollutants.
What are the health risks?
When lead is inhaled or ingested it is stored in the body and accumulates over time. Lead is
designated as a possible human carcinogen, and can cause neurological, gastrointestinal and
cardiovascular problems. Neurological problems include mild mental retardation, decreased
IQ, shortened attention spans, loss of executive function, increased dyslexia and diminished
productivity and disproportionally affect children. Chromium is a known carcinogen that is
proven to cause lung cancer from inhalation and is suspected to cause stomach cancer
through ingestion.