Journal Article

Risk perception in the population living near the Turin municipal solid waste incineration plant: survey results before start-up and communication strategies

Gandini, Martina, Cadum, Ennio, Procopio, Enrico, Farina, Elena, Orengia, Manuela, Bena, Antonella, Salamina, Giuseppe

2019

Overview

Background The start-up of the Turin municipal solid waste incineration plant (2013) was accompanied by surveillance of health effects, which included a human biomonitoring campaign. Here we present the results of the risk perception survey of local residents before the plant went into operation. Methods The survey sample was 394 local residents: 198 residing near the plant (exposed group) and 196 residing in an area distant from the plant site (unexposed group). The survey questionnaire investigated awareness of environmental and health issues, including a section on the perception of environmental health risks. Multivariate Poisson regressions were performed to determine the differences in risk perception between the two groups (exposed vs. unexposed). Results The exposed group was more concerned about natural hazards (prevalence ratio [PR] 1.61; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.99–2.61), anthropogenic hazards (PR 1.35; 95% CI 1.03–1.77), and waste management (PR 1.19; 95% CI 0.94–1.50). There were no significant differences in opinions about environmental pollution-related diseases between the two groups, though the exposed considered themselves to be at risk for developing these diseases. The survey population placed its trust more in health care providers than in any other category. Conclusions The risk perception survey questionnaire yielded data that enabled a better understanding and interpretation of the social context: residents living near the incineration plant were more concerned than those living distant from it, especially about anthropogenic hazards. This information was subsequently incorporated into the design the communication tools.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Anthropogenic factors / Biological monitoring / Biomonitoring / Biostatistics / Combustion / Communication / Community / Confidence intervals / Decision making / Disease susceptibility / Environmental aspects / Environmental Exposure - adverse effects / Environmental Health / Environmental Monitoring - methods / Environmental Pollution - prevention & control / Epidemiology / Exposure / Hazards / Health aspects / Health behavior / Health hazards / health promotion and society / Health risk assessment / Health risks / Humans / Incineration / Incineration plants / Italy / Management / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Municipal solid waste / Municipal solid waste incineration / Municipal solid wastes / Municipal waste management / Perception / Polls & surveys / Population / Public Health / Public relations / Questionnaires / Refuse Disposal - methods / Research Article / Respiratory diseases / Risk Assessment / Risk perception / Scientific citizenry / Solid Waste - adverse effects / Solid waste management / Solid wastes / Studies / Surveillance system / Surveys and Questionnaires / Systematic review / Vaccine / Waste disposal / Waste Disposal Facilities / Waste management / Waste Management - methods