Dust metal loadings and the risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
We evaluated the relationship between the risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and the levels of metals in carpet dust. A dust sample was collected from the homes of 142 ALL cases and 187 controls participating in the California Childhood Leukemia Study using a high volume small surface sampler (2001-2006). Samples were analyzed using microwave-assisted acid digestion in combination with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, nickel, tin, tungsten, and zinc. Eight metals were detected in at least 85% of the case and control homes; tungsten was detected in <15% of homes. Relationships between dust metal loadings (μg metal per m(2) carpet) and ALL risk were modeled using multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for the child's age, sex, and race/ethnicity and confounders, including household annual income. A doubling of dust metal loadings was not associated with significant changes in ALL risk (odds ratio (95% confidence interval): arsenic: 0.96 (0.86, 1.07), cadmium: 0.92 (0.81, 1.05), chromium: 1.01 (0.90, 1.14), copper: 0.97 (0.91, 1.03), lead: 1.01 (0.93, 1.10), nickel: 0.95 (0.82, 1.09), tin: 0.96 (0.86, 1.08), and zinc: 0.94 (0.84, 1.05)). Our findings do not support the hypothesis that metals in carpet dust are risk factors for childhood ALL.
School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.
Todd P
TP
Whitehead
Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, Department of Health and Human Services, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Mary H
MH
Ward
Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, Department of Health and Human Services, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Joanne S
JS
Colt
Department of Pediatrics, Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA.
Gary
G
Dahl
Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, USA.
Jonathan
J
Ducore
Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Kyndaron
K
Reinier
School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.
Robert B
RB
Gunier
School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.
S
S
Katharine Hammond
School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.
Stephen M
SM
Rappaport
School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.
Catherine
C
Metayer
D001151:Arsenic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D002104:Cadmium / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002857:Chromium / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D003300:Copper / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007854:Lead / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008670:Metals / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D009532:Nickel / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000139:chemically induced*; D014001:Tin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D014414:Tungsten / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D015032:Zinc / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis
D004391:Dust; D008670:Metals; D002104:Cadmium; D002857:Chromium; D007854:Lead; D014001:Tin; D003300:Copper; D009532:Nickel; D015032:Zinc; D001151:Arsenic; D014414:Tungsten