Risk of cancer as a result of community exposure to gasoline vapors.
The Tranguch Gasoline Spill leaked 50,000-900,000 gallons of gasoline from underground storage tanks, potentially exposing an area of Hazle Township and Hazleton, Pennsylvania, to chronic low levels of benzene since at least 1990. A retrospective cohort study of 663 individuals representing 275 households assessed whether affected residents were at increased risk for cancer from 1990-2000 compared with the Pennsylvania populace. Age-adjusted standard incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated using Pennsylvania rates to determine expected numbers. The age-adjusted SIR for the gasoline-affected area was 4.40 (95% confidence interval: 1.09-10.24) for leukemia. These results suggest an association between living within the area affected by the Tranguch Gasoline Spill and increased risk for leukemia.
Patel
Ami S
AS
Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. app8@cdc.gov
Talbott
Evelyn O
EO
Zborowski
Jeanne V
JV
Rycheck
Juley A
JA
Dell
Danielle
D
Xu
Xiaohui
X
Schwerha
Joseph
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001554:Benzene / Q000633:toxicity*; D002274:Carcinogens, Environmental / Q000633:toxicity*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005742:Gasoline / Q000633:toxicity*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007938:Leukemia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010414:Pennsylvania / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D002274:Carcinogens, Environmental; D005742:Gasoline; D001554:Benzene