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Increased thyroid cancer incidence in a basaltic volcanic area is associated with non-anthropogenic pollution and biocontamination

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Abstract

The increased thyroid cancer incidence in volcanic areas suggests an environmental effect of volcanic-originated carcinogens. To address this problem, we evaluated environmental pollution and biocontamination in a volcanic area of Sicily with increased thyroid cancer incidence. Thyroid cancer epidemiology was obtained from the Sicilian Regional Registry for Thyroid Cancer. Twenty-seven trace elements were measured by quadrupole mass spectrometry in the drinking water and lichens (to characterize environmental pollution) and in the urine of residents (to identify biocontamination) in the Mt. Etna volcanic area and in adjacent control areas. Thyroid cancer incidence was 18.5 and 9.6/105 inhabitants in the volcanic and the control areas, respectively. The increase was exclusively due to the papillary histotype. Compared with control areas, in the volcanic area many trace elements were increased in both drinking water and lichens, indicating both water and atmospheric pollution. Differences were greater for water. Additionally, in the urine of the residents of the volcanic area, the average levels of many trace elements were significantly increased, with values higher two-fold or more than in residents of the control area: cadmium (×2.1), mercury (×2.6), manganese (×3.0), palladium (×9.0), thallium (×2.0), uranium (×2.0), vanadium (×8.0), and tungsten (×2.4). Urine concentrations were significantly correlated with values in water but not in lichens. Our findings reveal a complex non-anthropogenic biocontamination with many trace elements in residents of an active volcanic area where thyroid cancer incidence is increased. The possible carcinogenic effect of these chemicals on the thyroid and other tissues cannot be excluded and should be investigated.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from the Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro (AIRC, Milan, Italy) to R.V. P.M. was supported by a fellowship from the “Giuseppe Alazio” Foundation, Palermo, Italy. Drs. G. Padova and V. D’Urso (Catania), Dr. M.C. Moleti (Messina), Drs. C.A. Maniglia and P. Richiusa (Palermo) contributed to case selection and urine sample collection. Thyroid cancer incidence data were obtained from the Sicilian Regional Registry for Thyroid Cancer co-ordinated by Dr. G. Pellegriti.

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Endocrinology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Garibaldi-Nesima Medical Center, University of Catania, via Palermo n. 636, 95122, Catania, Italy

      Pasqualino Malandrino, Marco Russo, Daniela Cataldo, Concetto Regalbuto, Sebastiano Squatrito & Riccardo Vigneri

    2. Laboratory of Experimental and Clinical Toxicology, Toxicology Unit, Pavia Poison Control Center and National Toxicology Information Center, IRCCS Maugeri Foundation, Pavia, Italy

      Anna Ronchi & Claudio Minoia

    3. Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolism, Department of Internal and Specialist Biomedicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy

      Carla Giordano

    4. Unit of Endocrinology, Ospedali Riuniti Villa Sofia, Cervello Hospital, Palermo, Italy

      Marco Attard

    5. Endocrinology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy

      Francesco Trimarchi

    6. Humanitas, Catania Oncoloy Center, Catania, Italy

      Riccardo Vigneri

    7. Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging, CNR (National Research Council), Catania, Italy

      Riccardo Vigneri

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    1. Pasqualino Malandrino
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    2. Marco Russo
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    Correspondence to Pasqualino Malandrino.

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    Pasqualino Malandrino and Marco Russo have contributed equally to this work.

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    Malandrino, P., Russo, M., Ronchi, A. et al. Increased thyroid cancer incidence in a basaltic volcanic area is associated with non-anthropogenic pollution and biocontamination. Endocrine 53, 471–479 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-015-0761-0

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