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Refuse/Waste - Background: Health

The health risks associated with illegal dumping are significant. Areas used for illegal dumping may be easily accessible to people, especially children, who are vulnerable to the physical (protruding nails or sharp edges) and chemical (harmful fluids or dust) hazards posed by wastes. Rodents, insects, and other vermin attracted to dump sites may also pose health risks.

Dump sites with scrap tires provide an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes, which can multiply 100 times faster than normal in the warm, stagnant water standing in scrap tire casings. Severe illnesses, including encephalitis, West Nile disease, and dengue fever, have been attributed to disease-carrying mosquitoes originating from scrap tire piles. In addition, countless neighborhoods have been evacuated and property damage has been significant because of dump sites that caught fire, either by spontaneous combustion or, more commonly, by arson.

Illegal dumping can impact proper drainage of runoff, making areas more susceptible to flooding when wastes block ravines, creels, culverts, and drainage basins. Additionally, runoff from dump sites containing chemicals may contaminate wells and surface water used as sources of drinking water.