Worrying about waste: living close to solid waste disposal facilities in southern Ontario

As a complement to an epidemiological survey, depth interviews were used to discover the individual level impacts of living close to waste disposal facilities in southern Ontario. The paper begins by describing the nature of the sites and reporting some of the survey findings, which the depth interviews explored. Sample selection and data analysis methods are described. A by-code analysis of the material is presented, emphasizing both within- and between-site differences in type and concern (or impact). Concern varied according to type of exposure and site context. The paper ends with a discussion which relates the study's findings on non-toxic facilities to other research on psychosocial effects, lay reasoning and risk perceptions and assessments.