Impact of landfills on health

Air pollution is the cause of a variety of diseases, such as lung cancer and heart disease leading to mortality. Unscientific designs of landfills in Delhi have resulted in the addition of air pollution due to the emission of greenhouse gases, PM 2.5, dioxins, furans, etc. In this study, we will examine the impact of air emissions from landfills on the health of residents. Moreover, it will evaluate the heterogeneous impact of landfill emissions by gender. We will collect the primary data on health outcomes and indoor air quality data from 600 households residing at a distance of 0 – 0.5 km, 0.5 – 1 km, 1 – 2 km, and 2 -4 km from the periphery of landfills in Delhi, India. Using ordinary least squares estimation, we will evaluate the impact by comparing the health outcomes of individuals living in unwind households relative to downwind but at the same distance from the landfill. It would help us to evaluate the health burden due to landfill emissions. Examining the decline in health burden with the increasing distance from a landfill will help policymakers decide the width of the buffer zone around a landfill.