研究人员发现，暴露在城市垃圾焚烧炉（municipal waste incinerators，MWIs）排放物中与婴儿死亡或胎儿生长减少之间没有联系。但生活在城市垃圾焚烧炉附近的人中，两种出生缺陷的风险有小幅增加，特别是先天性心脏缺陷和尿道下裂（影响男性生殖器，尿道开口不在阴茎顶部））。这些出生缺陷通常需要手术，但很少危及生命。

MWIs用于燃烧未回收、堆肥或送至垃圾填埋场的废物，可以包括纸张、塑料、木材和金属等材料。虽然MWI排放受欧盟法规管制，但公众仍然关注其对公共卫生的潜在影响，迄今为止的科学研究不一致或没有结论。

在之前的一项研究（Environment International, 2018）中，他们发现，对英格兰、苏格兰和威尔士超过一百万个出生人口的记录进行分析，没有证据表明焚烧炉排放的小颗粒物与不利的出生结果（如对出生体重、早产、婴儿死亡或死产的影响）之间存在联系。

英国小区域卫生统计局（SAHSU）主任保罗·埃利奥特教授说：“根据现有数据，我们的研究结果表明，城市垃圾焚烧炉不会显著增加婴儿死亡、死产、早产或对出生体重的影响。关于出生缺陷的研究结果还没有定论，但是我们的研究设计意味着我们不能排除生活在离焚化炉更近的地方会稍微增加某些特定缺陷的风险，尽管原因尚不清楚。”

Major study finds no conclusive links to health effects from waste incinerators

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190620220026.htm

Journal References:

1. Brandon Parkes, Anna L. Hansell, Rebecca E. Ghosh, Philippa Douglas, Daniela Fecht, Diana Wellesley, Jennifer J. Kurinczuk, Judith Rankin, Kees de Hoogh, Gary W. Fuller, Paul Elliott, Mireille B. Toledano. Risk of congenital anomalies near municipal waste incinerators in England and Scotland: Retrospective population-based cohort study. Environment International, 2019; 104845 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.05.039

2. Rebecca E. Ghosh, Anna Freni-Sterrantino, Philippa Douglas, Brandon Parkes, Daniela Fecht, Kees de Hoogh, Gary Fuller, John Gulliver, Anna Font, Rachel B. Smith, Marta Blangiardo, Paul Elliott, Mireille B. Toledano, Anna L. Hansell. Fetal growth, stillbirth, infant mortality and other birth outcomes near UK municipal waste incinerators; retrospective population based cohort and case-control study. Environment International, 2019; 122: 151 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2018.10.060

3. Philippa Douglas, Anna Freni-Sterrantino, Maria Leal Sanchez, Danielle C. Ashworth, Rebecca E. Ghosh, Daniela Fecht, Anna Font, Marta Blangiardo, John Gulliver, Mireille B. Toledano, Paul Elliott, Kees de Hoogh, Gary W. Fuller, Anna L. Hansell. Estimating Particulate Exposure from Modern Municipal Waste Incinerators in Great Britain. Environmental Science & Technology, 2017; 51 (13): 7511 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b06478

4. A. Freni-Sterrantino, R.E. Ghosh, D. Fecht, M.B. Toledano, P. Elliott, A.L. Hansell, M. Blangiardo. Bayesian spatial modelling for quasi-experimental designs: An interrupted time series study of the opening of Municipal Waste Incinerators in relation to infant mortality and sex ratio. Environment International, 2019; 128: 109 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.04.009

5. Anna Font, Kees de Hoogh, Maria Leal-Sanchez, Danielle C. Ashworth, Richard J.C. Brown, Anna L. Hansell, Gary W. Fuller. Using metal ratios to detect emissions from municipal waste incinerators in ambient air pollution data. Atmospheric Environment, 2015; 113: 177 DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2015.05.002

6. Danielle C. Ashworth, Paul Elliott, Mireille B. Toledano. Waste incineration and adverse birth and neonatal outcomes: a systematic review. Environment International, 2014; 69: 120 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2014.04.003