Cancer Cluster Investigation in Residents Near a Municipal Landfill

While there are several studies of the health status of residents near hazardous waste landfills, relatively few have focused on the health of individuals living near municipal landfills. We assessed whether there were increased incidence rates of 18 cancer types and all cancers combined among residents near the Northampton Regional Landfill in western Massachusetts by conducting analyses for the cities of Northampton and Easthampton, as well as each census tract in these cities, between years 1982 and 2004. We also examined incidence rates within a 1-mile radius of the landfill and examined spatial patterns of all cancer cases in Northampton and Easthampton. The majority of cancer types occurred at, near, or below expected rates. No statistically significant association persisted over time. Within 1 mile of the landfill, all cancers combined occurred at rates comparable to the statewide average (SIR = 94, 95% CI: 69, 120) from 1997 to 2004, as did all individual cancer types analyzed. There were no unusual spatial patterns of cases in the area surrounding the landfill for the entire study period or four individual periods examined. The results do not support the hypothesis that residing near the investigated municipal landfill was associated with increased cancer risk.