New ZWE-led incinerator research finds environment contaminated with highly toxic substances, risking the health of nearby communities
New research published by Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) about incinerators in three countries – Spain, Czechia, and Lithuania – finds a high level of contamination in the vicinity of incinerators, posing a significant risk to the environment and to the health of people living nearby.
To assess the real impact of waste incineration, the biomonitoring research conducted by ToxicoWatch Foundation for ZWE analysed the presence of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the surroundings of incinerators in Valdemingómez (Spain), Pilsen (Czechia, and Kaunas (Lithuania). The study used bioassays, an analytical method to determine the concentration or potency of a substance by its effect on living animals, plants, living cells, or tissues. This particular study used carefully collected biomarker samples – such as eggs of backyard chickens, pine needles, and mosses – in areas around incinerators.
Sursa foto: zerowasteeurope.eu, aici
