title: Historical long-term exposure to pentachlorophenol causing risk of cancer--a community study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pervious studies suggested occupational workers exposure to pentachlorophenol (PCP) might contribute to increased risk of cancer. However, few studies have focused on associations between PCP and cancer risk at the community level.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study was to explore the cancer risk for the community population living long-term in a PCP contaminated area.
  
  
  METHODS
  All the cancer cases diagnosed in 2009- 2011 in Tongling City were collected. The cancer patients' residencies were geo-referenced in each district. The historical PCP usage for each district of Tongling was calculated as the PCP pollution index, which was further used to divide into PCP exposure categories. Standardized rate ratios (SRRs) of cancer incidence were applied to detect the cancer risk as exposure grade elevated. Correlation analysis was performed to analyze the relationship between PCP pollution and cancer incidence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 5,288 cancer cases (3,451 male and 1,837 female) were identified. PCP usage was correlated with the incidence of leukemia (r=0.88, P=0.002) for males, and with cancer of the esophagus for males (r=0.83, P=0.008) and females (r=0.71, P=0.020). Compared with the low exposure category, significant SRRs for total cancer sites was obtained for high PCP exposure category (SRR=1.61, 95%CI=1.59-1.62). Most SRR values of the cancer sites were significantly increased as exposure grade elevated and exposure time extended.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study found that community residents living in the PCP contaminated area had increased risk of cancers. Leukemias, lymphomas and nasopharyngeal and esophageal cancers are most possibly associated with PCP exposure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Rui-Zhi
authors.initials: RZ
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Qing-He
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yi-Xin
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lin-Shen
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Zhi-Hua
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiu-Jun
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jing-Ting
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Fen
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007938:Leukemia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010416:Pentachlorophenol / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D012306:Risk; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D010416:Pentachlorophenol