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Viel, J., Arveux, P., Baverel, J., Cahn, J. 2000. Soft-tissue sarcoma
and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma clusters around a municipal solid
waste incinerator with high dioxin emission levels. Am J Epidemiol
152(1):13-9
Overall evidence from epidemiologic studies in the workplace
suggests that dioxin is a human carcinogen, but whether low doses
affect the general population remains to be determined. The
authors examined the spatial distribution of soft-tissue sarcomas
and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas around a French municipal solid
waste incinerator with high emission levels of dioxin (16.3 ng
international toxic equivalency factor/m3). Not consistently
associated with dioxin exposure,-Hodgkin's disease served as the
control cancer category. Clusters were identified from 1980 to
1995 in the area ("departement') of Doubs by applying a spatial
scan statistic to 26 electoral wards. The most likely and highly
significant clusters found were identical for soft-tissue sarcomas
and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and included the area around the
municipal solid waste incinerator; standardized incidence ratios
were 1.44 (observed number of cases = 45, focused test p value =
0.004) and 1.27 (observed number of cases = 286, focused test p
value = 0.00003), respectively. Conversely, Hodgkin's disease
exhibited no specific spatial distribution. Confounding by
socioeconomic status, urbanization, or patterns of medical referral
seemed unlikely to explain the clusters. Although consistent, these
findings should be confirmed by further investigation (e.g., a case-
control study in which dioxins are measured in biologic tissues)
before clusters of soft-tissue sarcoma and non-Hodgkin's
lymphoma are ascribed to dioxin released by the municipal solid
waste incinerator.
--
Stephanie C. Davis - BFA, MPA
Experienced Professional of Healthcare &
Non-Residential Waste Programs
Waste Reduction Remedies sm
A Multi-Waste Stream, Multi-Material
Waste Management Company
1497 Hopkins Street #2D Berkeley CA 94702-1201
Telephone & Fax: 510/527-8864 Pacific Time
E-mail: ScD18@WasteReductionRemedies.com
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