County Mortality and Cancer Incidence in Relation to Living near Two Former Nuclear Materials Processing Facilities in Pennsylvania—An Update

Abstract

A previous county mortality study of populations living near two nuclear materials processing and fabrication facilities in Westmoreland and Armstrong counties in Pennsylvania (1950-1995) was extended through 2004. Noncancer mortality (1996-2004) and cancer incidence (1990-2004) were also evaluated. Among the Westmoreland and Armstrong populations, 10,547 cancer deaths occurred during the period 1996 through 2004 and the relative risk (RR) based on comparisons with six demographically similar counties in western Pennsylvania was 0.97, that is, almost exactly as expected, and no different from our previously published analyses covering the years 1950-1995. The results based on cancer incidence data were very similar to those based on cancer mortality data. Over the years 1990 though 2004, 39,350 incident cancers were reported among residents of Armstrong and Westmoreland counties and the RR based on the six demographically similar counties was 0.99, that is, almost exactly as expected. The number of deaths from nonmalignant conditions was 36,565 and very close to the number expected (RR 1.01). Overall, no increases in cancer or nonmalignant diseases could be attributed to living in counties with nuclear materials processing and fabrication facilities.

An ecological study of cancer incidence in Port Hope, Ontario from 1992 to 2007

“…These findings are consistent with the international scientific understanding of the effects on human health of radiation and uranium toxicity [5][6][7]11]. The Port Hope findings also were consistent with the results of epidemiological studies conducted on uranium processing workers and the public near uranium mines, mills, and processing facilities [5,6,[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26].…”

Radiation-Related Thyroid Cancer

“…In the population living in the vicinity of processing and fabrication facilities of nuclear materials in Pennsylvania (SIR 0.88, 95% CI 0.78-0.99) ( 128 ), uranium mining and milling in New Mexico (SIR 0.88, 95% CI 0.60-1.25) ( 129 ), and the Sellafield (the UK) nuclear reprocessing plant (SIR 0.86, 95% CI 0.58-1.23) ( 130 ), the incidences of thyroid cancer were not increased.…”