Abstract:
This research case is about an investigation into possible community dioxin exposure in a small coastal settlement in rural New Zealand, in which fruit growing was a major industry. A local employer, the Fruitgrowers Chemical Company, had been producing pesticides and other chemicals for over 50 years, providing much needed local employment, but were a touch cavalier in dealing with chemical waste. After the company ceased trading, the site became known as ‘New Zealand’s most polluted’ and as an orphan site, the local authority became responsible for remediation, with an on-site experimental plant being the option of choice. Environmental monitoring of emissions from the plant showed occasional elevated levels of dioxins, which have been called “the most toxic substance known to man.” Our research group was successful in gaining funding for a study, the main aim of which was biological monitoring for serum dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) to determine the extent to which local residents had been exposed to these substances. We chose an exposed-referent design, matching those residents most likely to have been exposed to an demographically comparable urban group from Nelson, the nearest city to the remediation site. A collaborative approach was adopted, and the community was closely involved in both the study design and its implementation. We measured dioxin and PCBs in the serum of blood, administered a questionnaire with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) as an outcome measure, and included a brief qualitative component as part of the questionnaire.