To emphasize the link between environmental pollution and public health in an urban setting, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) commissioned a pilot study of the Dandora municipal waste dumping site in Nairobi, Kenya. Environmental samples (soil and water) were analyzed to determine the content and concentrations of various pollutants (heavy metals, polychlorinated biphenyls and pesticides) that are known to affect human health. Soil samples from the dumpsite were compared to samples taken from another site - Waithaka, which is a peri-urban residential area on the outskirts of Nairobi.