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HEALTH EFFECTS OF A WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEM
Citation:
Fannin, K., K. Cochran, H. Ross, AND A. Monto. HEALTH EFFECTS OF A WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEM. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/1-78/062 (NTIS PB289409), 1978.
Description:
Data obtained as part of a comprehensive community health study conducted during 1965-1971 were utilized to examine the incidence of acute illness in a population surrounding an activated sludge wastewater treatment plant and a control location in Tecumseh, Michigan. Study participants were classified into concentric circles of approximately 600m each by dwelling unit distance from either site. School children were classified by school attended in a similar manner. The additive minimum discrimination information statistic was used to test for significant differences in the incidence of total, respiratory, and gastrointestinal illnesses among individuals dwelling within concentric circles. Differences in illness incidence occurred from May through October at varying distances from the wastewater treatment plant and persons dwelling within 600m of this plant appeared to have a greater than expected risk of respiratory and gastrointestinal illness. The data do not, however, demonstrate a causal effect and factors other than the wastewater treatment plant, such as higher rates of illness transmission in areas of higher densities of lower socioeconomic families, could have contributed to these findings.