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Hazardous waste site frequency: use of the capture-recapture method

Envirosafe Training and Consultants, PO Box 114022, Pittsburgh, PA 15239, USA, john.pam.lange{at}worldnet.att.net

Y F Chang

Department of Neurosurgery, UPMC Presbyterian, Suite B-400, 200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA

R E LaPorte

Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, 130 DeSoto Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA

G Mastrangelo

Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Section of Occupational Health, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, 2-35128 Padova, Italy

This investigation used a two-source capture-recapture method (CRM) for determining ascertainment and undercounts of non-national priority listed hazardous waste sites in the states of Arizona, Maine and Pennsylvania. These findings suggest that ascertainment of hazardous waste sites vary greatly, with some more accurate (i.e., Maine) than others (i.e., Pennsylvania). These data suggest that nontraditional manufacturing states (e.g., Maine) have a higher ascertainment rate than traditional manufacturing states (e.g., Pennsylvania). These results indicate that resources for locating hazardous waste sites should be more heavily allotted to industrialized areas. We suggest that the CRM is a convenient, low cost and effective method for determining (1) the accuracy of previous estimates, and (2) the number of sites in a locale with 95% confidence intervals along with an estimate of the undercount. Findings suggest that estimates of hazardous waste sites should use the CRM to determine and improve accuracy.

Key Words: environmental hazards • environmental investigations • public health • superfund

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