Residential risk of leukemia for individuals living near petrochemical industrial complexes

Abstract

TPS 761: Health effects of pollution sources and components, Johan Friso Foyer, Floor 1, August 28, 2019, 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM “The views expressed in this presentation are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.” Background: Studies of human exposure to petrochemical products report associations with higher risk of hematopoietic cancer. However, the risk of leukemia for individual living close to petrochemical industrial complexes (PIC) remain unknown and controversial. This study aims to estimate the health impact for resident living in the vicinity of PIC, especially those belonging to vulnerable groups, such as children, or different genders. Methods: We followed Cochrane meta-analysis protocal to to analyze findings from 21 subjects from nine published research articles in seven countries. A random effect model was applied to estimate the pooled effect due to high heterogeneity between the selected studies. Meta-regression and subgroup analysis were further applied to identify heterogeneity. We also performed sensitivity analysis, Funnel plot, Egger’s test, and Begg’s test to assess possible publication bias. Results: Residents living close to PIC have a 27% greater risk of leukemia (RR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.08–1.50). Female residents (RR = 3.17, 95% CI = 2.13–4.73) and children under 10 years old (RR = 2.75, 95% CI = 1.23–6.13) are the most vulnerable groups. Those living as far as 7.5 km from PICs still have an elevated risk of leukemia by a factor of 18% (95% CI = 1.05–1.33). Conclusions: Our study reveals a significantly increased risk of leukemia incidence among residents in the vicinity of PICs, especially among females and young children, even from distances as great as 7.5 km. These findings can inform future policy-making to address health disparities resulting from residential exposures.