Whether the Small Area Statistics Unit study into the possible health effects of landfill sites will identify specifically the health effec…

The Small Area Health Statistics Unit (SAHSU) study will compare health outcomes in people living within 2km of landfill sites with the health outcomes in the rest of the population. The 2 km band was chosen to optimise the study design and is in line with the conclusion of a World Health Organisation workshop held in April 2000 on exposure assessment around landfill sites. The study will cover the whole of Great Britain but importantly will also report the findings of the main analyses separately for Scotland.The SAHSU study will report on a number of health outcomes including birth defects and the incidence of certain types of cancer. Further information about the study is available on the Department of Health Internet Site (http://doh.gov.uk/land2.htm ).The health information used by SAHSU in this study is routinely collected data which have been supplied by the Office for National Statistics, the Information and Statistics Division of NHSScotland and the General Register Office for Scotland. Health Boards in Scotland did not submit data to the study.Information, including the location and operating conditions for licensed landfill sites in Scotland, was supplied to SAHSU by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.