Incinerators, Radioactivity and Birth defects

Research by Michael Ryan using Official National Statistics (ONS) data has shown an increase in birth defects around incinerators, and notably around incinerators that burn radioactive waste. Birth defects can condemn a child, and sometimes its parents, to a lifetime of misery so every attempt should be made to investigate the underlying causes. In addition birth defects correlate geographically with other illnesses such as asthma, so eliminating the environmental causes of birth defects is likely to reduce other diseases as well. (To read M. Ryans final report, click here)
Hillingdon has seen a massive 300% rise in birth defects over the last 12 years and now has the dubious distinction of having the highest rate of birth defects in Greater London. Hounslow has also seen a similar rise whereas, on average, other boroughs in London have seen little change. (The official statistics for London from 1996 to 2001 show a 6% rise in birth defects.)
Any increase in birth defects of this magnitude over such a short period of time must be due to an environmental factor. It cannot be genetic. The question here is what type of toxic agent could be causing these birth defects in an area which is limited geographically? It cannot be anything coming from the food or from the water, so it must be something polluting the air. A major source of pollution would be Grundon’s clinical incinerator which has been discharging radioactive waste for about 14 years. The fact that the major wind direction is to the east would support this connection. So would the fact that similar increases are found near other radioactive incinerators. For instance Bexley and Greenwich had the highest rates of birth defects in Greater London in 1998 and 1999 (the last figures available) and this is an area polluted by another radioactive incinerator, the White Rose at Sidcup. Radiation has caused genetic damage in every species studied so this link between radioactive waste and genetic defects would not be surprising.
Have a look at the charts for yourself. There are no charts for Slough as the authorities have pooled the data from Berkshire. You might ask why they have done this when pooling data this way obscures local trends that could point to an environmental cause. These statistics were originally set up to look for environmental causes. We believe this question need an urgent answer. The Berkshire data are enclosed even though they are less useful.

This chart shows a 3 to 4 fold rise during the period that the incinerator has been operating in Colnbrook. Note that when the incinerator started operating about 14 years ago, and at that time Hillingdon had a lower rate of birth defects than Camden & Islington. Camden and Islington is an urban area, similar to Hillingdon, with similar traffic pollution, but there is one notable difference. They have no incinerator and send their waste elsewhere: to the Edmonton incinerator.

Here we can see that Hounslow, also downwind to the radioactive incinerator in Colnbrook, has experienced a similar rise in birth defects to Hillingdon during this time, whereas there has been no increase in Camden and Islington

There is also a rise in Berkshire but this is less marked. It seems likely that the rise in birth defects would be more marked for Slough but the data has not been made public.

List of Incinerators of Radioactive Waste

Here is a list of incinerators that burn radioactive material. Note that this is data from 2002. Steelworks also reprocess radioactive material and produce radioactive emissions.

ADDENBROOKS HOSPITAL, CAMBRIDGE
BNFL CAPENHURST, CHESHIRE
BNFL BERKELEY, GLOUCESTERSHIRE
BRITISH ENERGY, HEYSHAM, LANCS
BRITISH ENERGY, HARTLEPOOL, CLEVELAND
BRISTOL UNIVERSITY, BRISTOL
CLINICAL WASTE INCINERATION, SHEFFIELD
CLINICAL WASTE, DENMARK HILL, LONDON
EUROCARE, WREXHAM
GLAXO, STEVENAGE
MAGNOX ELECTRIC WYLFA
MAGNOX ELECTRIC, DUNGENESS
MAGNOX ELECTRIC, OLDBURY
MAGNOX ELECTRIC, SIZEWELL
MEDICAL ENERGY, WORCESTER
MEDIPOWER SERICES, BRISTOL
NORTH WEST ENERGY, SALFORD
NOTTINGHAM NHS TRUST, NOTTINGHAM
S GRUNDON, SLOUGH
SHANKS CHEMICAL SERVICES, HYTHE
SHANKS CHEMICAL SERVICES, PONTYPOOL
SMITH KLINE BEECHAM, WELWYN
SOUTH MANCHESTER NHS TRUST, MANCHESTER
ST MARKS HOSPITAL, NORTHWICK PARK
VIRIDOR, PLYMOUTH
WHITE ROSE, ASHFORD
WHITE ROSE, BOLTON
WHITE ROSE, IPSWICH
WHITE ROSE, LEEDS
WHITE ROSE, NOTTINGHAM
WHITE ROSE, OLDHAM
WHITE ROSE, PONTEFRACT
WHITE ROSE, SIDCUP