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Using Pollutant Release and Transfer Register Data in Human Health Research: A Scoping Review

Full Text: er-2013-0036.pdf PDF

Pollutant release and transfer registers (PRTRs) collect and provide information on chemicals released to the environment or otherwise managed as waste. They support the public’s right-to-know and provide useful information in gauging performance of facilities, sectors, and governments. The extent to which these data have been used in research, particularly in relation to human health, has not been documented. In this scoping review our objective was to learn from scholarly literature the extent and nature of the use of PRTR data in human health research. We performed literature searches (1994–2011) using various search engines and (or) key words. Articles selected for review were chosen following predefined criteria, to extract and analyze data. One hundred and eighty four papers were identified. Forty investigated possible relations with health outcomes: 33 of them identified positive associations. The rest explored other uses of PRTR data. Papers identified challenges, some imputable to the PRTR. We conclude that PRTR data are useful for research, including health-related studies, and have significant potential for prioritizing research needs that can influence policy, management, and ultimately human health. In spite of their inherent limitations, PRTRs represent a perfectible, unique useful source, whose application to human health research appears to be underutilized. Developing strategies to overcome these limitations could improve data quality and increase its utility in future environmental health research and policy applications.

Citation

O. Wine, C. Hackett, S. Campbell, O. Cabrera-Rivera, I. Buka, O. Zaiane, S. DeVito, A. Osornio-Vargas. "Using Pollutant Release and Transfer Register Data in Human Health Research: A Scoping Review". Environmental Reviews, 22(1), pp 51-65, March 2014.

Keywords: pollutant release and transfer registries, PRTR, human health, industrial emissions, toxic chemical releases
Category: In Journal
Web Links: Environmental Reviews

BibTeX

@article{Wine+al:14,
  author = {Osnat Wine and Cian Hackett and Sandy Campbell and Orlando
    Cabrera-Rivera and Irena Buka and Osmar R. Zaiane and Stephen C. DeVito and
    Alvaro R. Osornio-Vargas},
  title = {Using Pollutant Release and Transfer Register Data in Human Health
    Research: A Scoping Review},
  Volume = "22",
  Number = "1",
  Pages = {51-65},
  journal = {Environmental Reviews},
  year = 2014,
}

Last Updated: October 31, 2019
Submitted by Sabina P

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