| Solid-Tumor Mortality in the Vicinity of Uranium Cycle Facilities and Nuclear Power Plants in Spain Gonzalo López-Abente, Nuria Aragonés, and Marina Pollán Cancer Epidemiology Unit, National Center for Epidemiology, Carlos III Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain Abstract
To ascertain solid tumor mortality in towns near Spain's four nuclear power plants and four nuclear fuel facilities from 1975 to 1993, we conducted a mortality study based on 12,245 cancer deaths in 283 towns situated within a 30-km radius of the above installations. As nonexposed areas, we used 275 towns lying within a 50- to 100-km radius of each installation, matched by population size and sociodemographic characteristics (income level, proportion of active population engaged in farming, proportion of unemployed, percentage of illiteracy, and province) . Using log-linear models, we examined relative risk for each area and trends in risk with increasing proximity to an installation. The results reveal a pattern of solid-tumor mortality in the vicinity of uranium cycle facilities, basically characterized by excess lung [relative risk (RR) 1.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) , 1.02-1.25] and renal cancer mortality (RR 1.37, 95% CI, 1.07-1.76) . Besides the effects of natural radiation, these results could well be evincing the influence on public health exerted by the environmental impact of mining. No such well-defined pattern appeared in the vicinity of nuclear power plants. Monitoring of cancer incidence and mortality is recommended in areas surrounding nuclear fuel facilities and nuclear power plants, and more specific studies are called for in areas adjacent to installations that have been fully operational for longer periods. In this regard, it is important to use dosimetric information in all future studies. Key words: environment, epidemiology, ionizing, mortality, neoplasms, nuclear facilities, radiation, uranium mines. Environ Health Perspect 109:721-729 (2001) . [Online 11 July 2001] http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2001/109p721-729lopez-abente/ abstract.html Address correspondence to G. López-Abente, Area de Epidemiología Ambiental y Cáncer, Centro Nacional de Epidemiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Sinesio Delgado 6, 28029 Madrid, Spain. Telephone: 34-91-387 78 02. Fax: 34-91-387 78 15. E-mail: glabente@isciii.es This study was financed in part by grant 96/300 from the Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (Health Research Fund) . The work of N. Aragonés was supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (grant No 97/4004) . Received 21 November 2000 ; accepted 12 January 2001.
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