The influence of benzene air pollution on leukemia incidence and mortality rates

Abstract

The following study identifies areas where adverse conditions related to benzene pollution are concurrent with leukaemia incidence and mortality (C91–C95). Moreover, it determines the similarities between benzene and leukaemia levels, as well and rules defining their co-occurrence. The analysis covered the period of 2015–2017. Data were obtained from Dane.gov.pl (number of leukaemia cases), the Polish National Cancer Registry website (number of deaths), the Local Data Bank of the Central Statistical Office (population data) and the Chief Inspectorate of Environmental Protection and the Air Quality Portal (data on air quality). Based on the conducted analysis, it was concluded that the following poviat towns have an unfavourable epidemic situation related to leukaemia: Kielce (incidence), Rzeszów (incidence), Elbląg (mortality); meanwhile, high leukaemia incidence and mortality co-occurred with high average benzene concentration in 2015–2017 in the following poviat towns: Kielce, Rybnik, Płock and Rzeszów. It was found that leukaemias belonging to the three-character ICD-10 categories C94, C95 and C92 show the highest rate of co-occurrence with benzene concentration. In addition, two main rules for the co-occurrence of benzene pollution and leukaemia were identified. It was also noted that it is necessary to continue the research for a longer time period, especially in the poviat towns of Kielce and Rzeszów.