The Health Impact of Nonhazardous Solid Waste Disposal in a Community: The Case of the Mare Chicose Landfill in Mauritius

The disposal of nonhazardous solid waste on the island of Mauritius is centered on the Mare Chicose landfill. Because of health concerns in the community, the authors conducted a health impact survey, took measurements of height and weight, and compared the results with a control locality. After adjusting for confounding factors, the authors observed that numerous complaints were significantly higher in the target population. After elimination of reporting bias, however, nausea and vomiting remained as the only significant self-reported outcomes. The mean body mass index (BMI) of target men was significantly lower when compared with the control. This result was not observed in the populations of women and children, and suggests a gender difference in the health impact of the landfill.