Health problems reported by residents of a neighborhood contaminated by a hazardous waste facility.

A symptom prevalence survey was conducted of a neighborhood exposed to airborne hazardous wastes. Residents' responses were compared to those of a nearby control population. The results revealed that the exposed group had more self-reported complaints referable to the respiratory system (wheezing, shortness of breath, chest discomfort, persistent colds, coughs), constitutional complaints (always fatigued, bowel dysfunction), and irregular heart beat. When the effect of a documented irritant source in a small portion of the control population was removed, the exposed group also complained more often of irritation of the eyes and nose. There was a biological gradient for several of these effects. Efforts to eliminate the influence of confounding and recall bias are discussed. The results suggest either that the general population reacts to chemicals at levels much lower than the available occupational literature would indicate or that the effects are more long lasting than previously thought.