Hazardous Waste Sites and Water Pollution

Living in close proximity to hazardous waste sites and drinking water contaminated by leachates from these sites has been associated with numerous health problems, many of which have been discussed previously 

Most of the cancers were the same in both genders, but notably only women had elevated incidences of breast cancer and only men had elevated incidences of cancers of the esophagus and bladder. No explanations were offered for these observed differences. The study did not identify specific pollutants, but other studies have shown that typical contaminants leaching out of hazardous waste sites contain large numbers of lipophiles and hydrophiles including organic solvents, pesticides, heavy metals, and other inorganics. 64  

Municipal solid waste sites release numerous chemicals into the air and water. In a study carried out in Montreal, Canada, it was found that men living near such a site were found to have excessive risk for developing cancers of the pancreas and liver, as well as non-Hodgkin s lymphoma. 68  

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