Risk for non Hodgkin’s lymphoma in the vicinity of French municipal solid waste incinerators
2008

Risk of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Near Waste Incinerators

Sample size: 3974 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Jean-François Viel, Côme Daniau, Sarah Goria, Pascal Fabre, Perrine de Crouy-Chanel, Erik-André Sauleau, Pascal Empereur-Bissonnet

Primary Institution: CNRS n° 6249 'Chrono-Environment', Faculty of Medicine

Hypothesis

Is there an increased risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) for people living near municipal solid waste incinerators with high dioxin emissions?

Conclusion

The study found a significant association between non-Hodgkin's lymphoma incidence and exposure to dioxins from municipal solid waste incinerators.

Supporting Evidence

  • A total of 3974 NHL cases were observed during the study period.
  • A relative risk of 1.120 was found for those living in highly exposed areas.
  • Population density was positively linked to both NHL risk and dioxin exposure.

Takeaway

Living close to certain waste incinerators can increase the risk of getting a type of cancer called non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Methodology

The study used Poisson regression models to analyze NHL cases diagnosed from 1990 to 1999 in relation to dioxin exposure from 13 incinerators.

Potential Biases

Potential residual confounding due to lack of individual exposure data.

Limitations

The study's findings cannot be applied to current incinerators, which emit lower levels of pollutants.

Participant Demographics

3974 NHL cases, with 2147 males and 1827 females, aged 15 and over.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.04

Confidence Interval

95% CI 1.002 – 1.251

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1476-069X-7-51

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