Solid-Tumor Mortality in the Vicinity of Uranium Cycle Facilities and Nuclear Po

["Jim Nelson" <nelsonjima@HOTMAIL.COM>]

Has anyone reviewed this paper?



http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2001/109p721-729lopez-abente/abstract.html



Environmental Health Perspectives Volume 109, Number 7, July 2001



Solid-Tumor Mortality in the Vicinity of Uranium Cycle Facilities and 

Nuclear Power Plants in Spain

Gonzalo López-Abente, Nuria Aragonés, and Marina Pollán



Cancer Epidemiology Unit, National Center for Epidemiology, Carlos III 

Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain







--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Abstract

To ascertain solid tumor mortality in towns near Spain's four nuclear power 

plants and four nuclear fuel facilities from 1975 to 1993, we conducted a 

mortality study based on 12,245 cancer deaths in 283 towns situated within a 

30-km radius of the above installations. As nonexposed areas, we used 275 

towns lying within a 50- to 100-km radius of each installation, matched by 

population size and sociodemographic characteristics (income level, 

proportion of active population engaged in farming, proportion of 

unemployed, percentage of illiteracy, and province). Using log-linear 

models, we examined relative risk for each area and trends in risk with 

increasing proximity to an installation. The results reveal a pattern of 

solid-tumor mortality in the vicinity of uranium cycle facilities, basically 

characterized by excess lung [relative risk (RR) 1.12, 95% confidence 

interval (CI), 1.02-1.25] and renal cancer mortality (RR 1.37, 95% CI, 

1.07-1.76). Besides the effects of natural radiation, these results could 

well be evincing the influence on public health exerted by the environmental 

impact of mining. No such well-defined pattern appeared in the vicinity of 

nuclear power plants. Monitoring of cancer incidence and mortality is 

recommended in areas surrounding nuclear fuel facilities and nuclear power 

plants, and more specific studies are called for in areas adjacent to 

installations that have been fully operational for longer periods. In this 

regard, it is important to use dosimetric information in all future studies. 

Key words: environment, epidemiology, ionizing, mortality, neoplasms, 

nuclear facilities, radiation, uranium mines. Environ Health Perspect 

109:721-729 (2001). [Online 11 July 2001]

http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2001/109p721-729lopez-abente/abstract.html











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