Historical cancer incidence and mortality assessment in an Illinois community proximal to a former manufactured gas plant

Abstract

ObjectivesConcern has been raised that the occurrence of cancer may be increased in neighbourhoods around a former manufactured gas plant in Champaign, Illinois, USA. Thus, we compared historical rates of cancer in this area to comparison communities as well as with nationally standardised rates.DesignRetrospective population-based community cancer assessment during 1990–2010.SettingChampaign County, Illinois, USA, and zip codes encompassing the location of the former manufactured gas plant to counties that were similar demographically.ParticipantsResidents of the counties and zip codes studied between 1990 and 2010.Main outcome measuresThe relative risk (RR) and 95% CI were used to compare cancer incidence and mortality in the areas near the gas compression site to the comparison counties. Standardised incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated to compare rates in the areas near the gas compression site to expected rates based on overall US cancer rates.ResultsTotal cancer mortality (RR=0.91, 95% CI 0.88 to 0.94) and incidence (RR=0.95, 95% CI 0.94 to 0.97) were reduced significantly in Champaign County versus the comparison counties. Similarly, a reduced rate of total cancer was observed in analyses by zip code (proximal to the former gas plant) when compared with either similar counties (RR=0.89, 95% CI 0.86 to 0.93) or national standardised rates of cancer (SIR=0.88, 95% CI 0.85 to 0.91).ConclusionsThis historical cancer assessment did not find an increased risk of total cancer or specific cancer types in communities near a former manufactured gas plant site.

Air Pollution and Chronic Kidney Disease Risk in Oil and Gas- Situated Communities: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Twelve studies showed that exposure to air pollution was associated with increased risk for kidney-related outcomes. Three studies reported that exposed populations had a lower risk of kidney cancer [ 31 , 36 , 37 ]. One study reported no significant difference in the risk for hypertension or diabetes between exposed and unexposed populations [ 33 ], while the remaining nine studies reported mixed findings.…”

The relationship between site history and human health risks: Lessons from 13 years of contaminated land risk assessments in Victoria, Australia

“…To date, only a small number of these epidemiological studies has been completed, including one that identified significant effects of TCE exposure on birth outcomes in New York (Forand et al., 2012), and one that identified no increase in cancers associated with a gasworks site in Illinois (Alexander et al. 2014).…”

“…The most direct way of rating health risks would be to carry out extensive epidemiological studies on health effects associated with contaminated sites, but these studies T A B L E 1 Continued are notoriously complex and difficult to complete (Hoek et al, 2018). To date, only a small number of these epidemiological studies has been completed, including one that identified significant effects of TCE exposure on birth outcomes in New York (Forand et al, 2012), and one that identified no increase in cancers associated with a gasworks site in Illinois (Alexander et al 2014).…”