Air Pollution and Lung Cancer Mortality in Harris County, Texas, 1979–1981

Abstract

Elevated lung cancer mortality rates in Harris County, Texas compared with other US counties and previously published reports that suggested a causal relation between air pollution and lung cancer in Houston prompted this ecologic analysis. A weighted regression analysis was used to examine the air pollution-lung cancer mortality relation for white males in Harris County, Texas, 1979-1981. The regression model included the following census tract-specific characteristics: median age for white males, two social and demographic factors not strongly correlated with pollution (family life cycle and migration), an age-dependent smoking index, and a pollution measure based on total suspended particulates. This model indicated a statistically significant contribution of the pollution measure in explaining the intracounty variation in lung cancer mortality rates. The relation between air pollution and lung cancer mortality, however, appeared to be highly dependent on which social and demographic factors were selected for inclusion in the analysis. Air pollution was not demonstrated to be a strong determinant of lung cancer mortality in this study in that the presence of air pollution accounted for less than 5% of the total variation in intraurban lung cancer mortality. In addition, the interpretation of geographic analysis must be guarded due to the introduction of potential bias due to aggregation. The hypothesis that air pollution is contributory to lung cancer cannot be tested until other, stronger individual risk factors for lung cancer can be better measured and controlled in studies of this association.

Maternal Exposure to Fine Particulate Pollution During Narrow Gestational Periods and Newborn Health in Harris County, Texas

“…A risk assessment identified fine particles (PM 2.5 ) posing “definite” health risks for Houstonians [1] and ambient air levels of PM 2.5 suggest that the Houston area may be near or exceed the new national ambient air quality standard for this pollutant (http://www.epa.gov/pm/actions.html#jun12). Although Harris County is the fifth largest metropolis in the US with documented problems of poor air quality [1] and known health, social and economic disparities [2], relatively few studies have examined health risks in relation to air pollution in the area [3–5] and only one focused on adverse birth outcomes [6]. …”

Urban Air Pollution Enhances the Formation of Urethane-Induced Lung Tumors in Mice

“…Based on these observations, outdoor air pollution has been proposed as a possible explanation for the observed urban-rural gradient in lung malignancies (Carnow and Meier, 1973;Buffler, 1988). However, there are important confounding factors that should be controlled before ascribing solely to air pollution the responsibility for increasing the risk of lung tumors in urban dwellers.…”

Poluição do ar e doenças respiratórias: uma revisão

“…Já Buffler et al (1988) investigaram as associações existentes entre as taxas de mortalidade por câncer de pulmão em Harris County, Texas (EUA), e a poluição do ar, concluindo que a poluição era responsável por menos de 5% da variação total intra-urbana das taxas de mortalidade por câncer pulmonar. Os autores levantam a possibilidade de que fatores de risco individuais, tais como o fumo e a ocupação, não identificados pelo estudo em questão, do tipo ecológico, tenham dificultado a obtenção de resultados mais conclusivos.…”