A study of leukaemia in Glasgow in connection with chromium-contaminated land

Eizaguirre-García, D.; Rodríguez-Andrés, C; Watt, G. C. M.; Hole, David

doi:10.1093/pubmed/21.4.435

Cited by 6 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 9 publications

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“…In the past, waste from the works was used as fill material around the city, leading to concerns about potential health impacts on the local population (Farmer and Jarvis 2009). However, previous investigations found no evidence of adverse health effects (Eizaguirre-Garcia et al 1999; Watt et al 1991) and in recent years, the Cr-contaminated sites are being capped and remediated to reduce exposure to airborne dusts (Farmer and Jarvis 2009). Nonetheless, the BGS soil dataset provides an opportunity to test whether the poor chemical quality of land is spatially coincident with indicators of poor health and deprivation in the largest city in Scotland.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An initial assessment of spatial relationships between respiratory cases, soil metal content, air quality and deprivation indicators in Glasgow, Scotland, UK: relevance to the environmental justice agenda

Morrison

Fordyce

Scott

2013

Environ Geochem Health

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There is growing interest in links between poor health and socio-environmental inequalities (e.g. inferior housing, crime and industrial emissions) under the environmental justice agenda. The current project assessed associations between soil metal content, air pollution (NO2/PM10) and deprivation and health (respiratory case incidence) across Glasgow. This is the first time that both chemical land quality and air pollution have been assessed citywide in the context of deprivation and health for a major UK conurbation. Based on the dataset ‘averages’ for intermediate geography areas, generalised linear modelling of respiratory cases showed significant associations with overall soil metal concentration (p = 0.0367) and with deprivation (p < 0.0448). Of the individual soil metals, only nickel showed a significant relationship with respiratory cases (p = 0.0056). Whilst these associations could simply represent concordant lower soil metal concentrations and fewer respiratory cases in the rural versus the urban environment, they are interesting given (1) possible contributions from soil to air particulate loading and (2) known associations between airborne metals like nickel and health. This study also demonstrated a statistically significant correlation (−0.213; p < 0.05) between soil metal concentration and deprivation across Glasgow. This highlights the fact that despite numerous regeneration programmes, the legacy of environmental pollution remains in post-industrial areas of Glasgow many decades after heavy industry has declined. Further epidemiological investigations would be required to determine whether there are any causal links between soil quality and population health/well-being. However, the results of this study suggest that poor soil quality warrants greater consideration in future health and socio-environmental inequality assessments.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An initial assessment of spatial relationships between respiratory cases, soil metal content, air quality and deprivation indicators in Glasgow, Scotland, UK: relevance to the environmental justice agenda

Morrison

Fordyce

Scott

2013

Environ Geochem Health

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Strategies for improving human health in contaminated situations: a review of past, present and possible future approaches

Farmer

Jarvis²

2008

Environ Geochem Health

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Strategies for improving human health in contaminated situations have traditionally been based on restricting emissions, remedial reduction of exposure and, where appropriate and possible, medical reconnaissance of efficacy. We review these and the broader aspects of general public health approaches, including necessary understanding of epidemiology and the wider social context, before considering a specific local case study involving health issues associated with chromium-contaminated land and its remediation in an area of urban regeneration. The impact of remediation upon the common good, in its broadest environmental, health and socio-economic sense, including enhanced opportunities for members of the community to take personal responsibility for health-improving activities, should be taken into account in addition to conventional theoretical assessments and practical measurements of relief from environmental risk. Rapidly emerging toxicogenomic technologies may have a role to play in informing future risk assessment and remediation approaches in contaminated situations, although the ethical challenges of using personal genetic information could well be considerable.

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Banding carcinogenic risks in developed countries: A procedural basis for qualitative assessment

Stewart

2008

Mutation Research/Reviews in Mutation Research

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A study of leukaemia in Glasgow in connection with chromium-contaminated land

Abstract: No evidence was found of a possible relationship between soil pollution by chromium and leukaemia in the general population. Nonetheless, the excess noticed by the study warrants further research.

Cited by 6 publications

References 9 publications

An initial assessment of spatial relationships between respiratory cases, soil metal content, air quality and deprivation indicators in Glasgow, Scotland, UK: relevance to the environmental justice agenda

An initial assessment of spatial relationships between respiratory cases, soil metal content, air quality and deprivation indicators in Glasgow, Scotland, UK: relevance to the environmental justice agenda

Strategies for improving human health in contaminated situations: a review of past, present and possible future approaches

Banding carcinogenic risks in developed countries: A procedural basis for qualitative assessment

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