Cancer risk around the nuclear power plants of Trillo and Zorita (Spain).
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the association between cancer risk and proximity of place of residence to the Guadalajara nuclear power plants: Trillo and Zorita.


METHODS
Case-control study. Cases were patients admitted with cancer and controls were non-tumorous patients, both admitted to Guadalajara Hospital (period 1988-99). Exposure factor: place of residence (areas within 10, 20, and 30 km of each plant). Odds ratios (ORs) of those areas closest to the plants were calculated with respect to those furthest away; a linear trend analysis was also performed.


RESULTS
In the extreme areas in the vicinity of Trillo, an OR of 1.71 was obtained (95% CI 1.15 to 2.53), increasing in magnitude in the subgroup of more radioinducible tumours and in the period considered as post-latency (1997-99). Risk increased linearly with proximity to the two plants, significantly in Trillo (p < 0.01) but not in Zorita (p = 0.19).


CONCLUSIONS
There is an association between proximity of residence to Trillo and cancer risk, although the limitations of the study should be kept in mind when interpreting the possible causal relation.
Silva-Mato
A
A
Department of Sanitary and Socio-Medical Sciences, Area of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Biostatistics and Epidemiology Units, University of Alcalá, Madrid, Spain. agustin.silva@uah.es
Viana
D
D
Fernández-SanMartín
M I
MI
Cobos
J
J
Viana
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000398:Air Pollution, Radioactive / Q000009:adverse effects; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011210:Power Plants; D011848:Radioactive Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
D011848:Radioactive Pollutants