State of the science on the carcinogenicity of gasoline with particular reference to cohort mortality study results.

Abstract

As a result of the content of benzene in various streams of refinery products, including gasoline, it is not surprising that over the years studies and case reports have linked gasoline exposure to lymphopoietic cancers (LPC), particularly leukemia and multiple myeloma (MM). Of three recently conducted studies of gasoline-exposed workers, one shows strong associations with leukemia and MM, a second suggests some association with leukemia and did not analyze data for MM, and the third study is not possible to evaluate because of a major problem with study design. Other diseases of particular interest in relation to gasoline exposure are kidney cancer, malignant melanoma, and heart disease. One study suggests an association with kidney cancer, but the second study did not. There appears to be no association between employment in refineries or gasoline exposure and heart disease. However, evaluation of risk of kidney cancer and heart disease is somewhat difficult because investigators did not control for cigarette smoking, even though it is related to these diseases. This is of particular concern when studying gasoline-exposed workers, who because of the explosive nature of gasoline probably smoke less than the general population used for comparison of mortality. Some studies of refinery workers and gasoline-exposed workers in particular show an excess risk of death from malignant melanoma. Whether this latter association is the result of benzene/gasoline exposure, sunlight exposure, or a combination of the two cannot be determined with the data currently available.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Evaluation of Spatial Relationships between Health and the Environment: The Rapid Inquiry Facility

“…EPA 2009). Leukemia, multiple myeloma, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) have been associated with hazardous air emissions released by oil refineries (Infante 1993; Rushton 1993; San Sebastián et al 2001; Smith et al 2007). …”

Potential Health Effects of Gasoline and Its Constituents: A Review of Current Literature (1990-1997) on Toxicological Data

“…In 1993, Infante (10) referred to two studies in gasoline-exposed workers: the first study suggested an association with kidney cancer, but the second study did not. This apparent contradiction might be explained by other factors such as cigarette smoking, which was not sufficiently considered in the analysis (10).…”

“…This apparent contradiction might be explained by other factors such as cigarette smoking, which was not sufficiently considered in the analysis (10). Other epidemiological studies published in 1993, which include a cohort of approximately 100,000 male refinery workers (11) A previously unnotified risk of nasal cancer has recently been reported in service station workers in the Nordic countries by Lynge et al (9).…”

“…A mortality study among 6,672 Canadian petroleum marketing and distribution workers and tank truck drivers, conducted by Schnatter et al in 1993 (6), gave an overall mortality lower than the general Canadian population in marketing and distribution workers; leukemia findings were not evident in the latter category, but were significantly elevated in tank truck drivers. Infante (10) referred to three studies conducted in gasoline-exposed workers: one showed strong associations between gasoline exposure, leukemia, and multiple myeloma; the second suggested a slight association with leukemia, but did not analyze data for multiple myeloma; and the third was inconclusive due to problems linked with study design. In 1996 Collingwood et al (16) reported that in a cohort study of (3).…”

“…Some studies in refinery workers and gasoline-exposed workers indicated an increased mortality risk from malignant melanoma; whether this was the result of exposure to gasoline, benzene, or sunlight, or a combination of these factors has been difficult to establish (10).…”