Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Increased incidence of respiratory tract cancers in people living near Portland cement plants in Korea

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Portland cement contains carcinogens such as chromium and free silica, and hence, inhalation of cement dust can cause respiratory tract cancers. The purpose of this study was to determine whether living near a cement plant increases the risk of respiratory tract cancers.

Methods

The study population consisted of 341,793 people, all of whom lived in administrative districts within 3-km radius of ten cement plants in Korea. The respiratory tract cancer incidence data (International Classification of Diseases, ten revision code C00-C14 and C30-C34) for 2008–2012 were obtained from regional cancer registries. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) for each cancer site in the respiratory tract were calculated using an indirect standardization method.

Results

Compared with the general Korean population, the incidence of lung and bronchus cancer (C33–C34) was significantly higher in all subjects [SIR 1.15, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02–1.29] and especially in the men subjects (SIR 1.47, 95% CI 1.29–1.68) in our study population. In addition, the incidence of larynx cancer in men (SIR 1.64, 95% CI 0.97–2.59) and salivary gland cancer in women (SIR 3.03, 95% CI 0.98–7.07) living near cement plants was marginally increased.

Conclusions

These results suggest that environmental exposure to Portland cement dust is a risk factor for respiratory tract cancers.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bertoldi M et al (2012) Health effects for the population living near a cement plant: an epidemiological assessment. Environ Int 41:1–7. doi:10.1016/j.envint.2011.12.005

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chang MI, Chung Y, Kwon SP (1983) A study on the emission and dispersion of particulate mather from a cement plant. Korean J Prev Med 16(1):67–77

    Google Scholar 

  • Cho Y et al (2014) Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons exposure in residents living near a cement factory with kilns. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 87(8):889–896. doi:10.1007/s00420-014-0931-z

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen SS, Sadoff MM, Jiang X, Fryzek JP, Garabrant DH (2014) A review and meta-analysis of cancer risks in relation to Portland cement exposure. Occup Environ Med 71(11):796–802. doi:10.1136/oemed-2014-102193

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Conesa JA, Galvez A, Mateos F, Martin-Gullon I, Font R (2008) Organic and inorganic pollutants from cement kiln stack feeding alternative fuels. J Hazard Mater 158(2–3):585–592. doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2008.01.116

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • De Flora S (2000) Threshold mechanisms and site specificity in chromium(VI) carcinogenesis. Carcinogenesis 21(4):533–541

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Oliveira FA et al (2009) Salivary gland tumor: a review of 599 cases in a Brazilian population. Head Neck Pathol 3(4):271–275. doi:10.1007/s12105-009-0139-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Forrest J, Campbell P, Kreiger N, Sloan M (2008) Salivary gland cancer: an exploratory analysis of dietary factors. Nutr Cancer 60(4):469–473. doi:10.1080/01635580802143851

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fry JS, Hamling JS, Lee PN (2012) Systematic review with meta-analysis of the epidemiological evidence relating FEV1 decline to lung cancer risk. BMC Cancer 12:498. doi:10.1186/1471-2407-12-498

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garcia-Perez J, Lopez-Abente G, Castello A, Gonzalez-Sanchez M, Fernandez-Navarro P (2015) Cancer mortality in towns in the vicinity of installations for the production of cement, lime, plaster, and magnesium oxide. Chemosphere 128:103–110. doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2015.01.020

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Horn-Ross PL, Ljung BM, Morrow M (1997) Environmental factors and the risk of salivary gland cancer. Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass) 8(4):414–419

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Horn-Ross PL, Morrow M, Ljung BM (1999) Menstrual and reproductive factors for salivary gland cancer risk in women. Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass) 10(5):528–530

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • IARC (2009) IARC monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risks to humans, vol 100C. WHO, Lyon

    Google Scholar 

  • Isikli B, Demir TA, Urer SM, Berber A, Akar T, Kalyoncu C (2003) Effects of chromium exposure from a cement factory. Environ Res 91(2):113–118

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Isikli B et al (2006) Cadmium exposure from the cement dust emissions: a field study in a rural residence. Chemosphere 63(9):1546–1552. doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2005.09.059

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Karstensen KH (2008) Formation, release and control of dioxins in cement kilns. Chemosphere 70(4):543–560. doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2007.06.081

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kim SH et al (2015) Ventilation impairment of residents around a cement plant. Ann Occup Environ Med 27:3. doi:10.1186/s40557-014-0048-6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koh DH, Kim TW, Jang S, Ryu HW (2013) Dust exposure and the risk of cancer in cement industry workers in Korea. Am J Ind Med 56(3):276–281. doi:10.1002/ajim.22132

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Korea Central Cancer Registry (2014) Annual report of cancer statistics in Korea in 2012. Ministry of Health and Welfare

  • Maier H, Dietz A, Gewelke U, Heller WD (1991) Occupational exposure to hazardous substances and risk of cancer in the area of the mouth cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx and larynx. A case-control study. Laryngorhinootologie 70(2):93–98. doi:10.1055/s-2007-997996

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Meo SA (2004) Health hazards of cement dust. Saudi Med J 25(9):1153–1159

    Google Scholar 

  • Meo SA, Azeem MA, Qureshi AA, Ghori GM, Al-Drees AM, Feisal Subhan MM (2006) Dose response effect of cement dust on respiratory muscles competence in cement mill workers. Int J Environ Health Res 16(6):439–447. doi:10.1080/09603120601095951

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nordby KC et al (2011) Exposure to thoracic dust, airway symptoms and lung function in cement production workers. Eur Respir J 38(6):1278–1286. doi:10.1183/09031936.00007711

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Park S et al (2014) Attributable fraction of tobacco smoking on cancer using population-based nationwide cancer incidence and mortality data in Korea. BMC Cancer 14:406. doi:10.1186/1471-2407-14-406

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Proctor DM, Suh M, Campleman SL, Thompson CM (2014) Assessment of the mode of action for hexavalent chromium-induced lung cancer following inhalation exposures. Toxicology 325:160–179. doi:10.1016/j.tox.2014.08.009

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Purdue MP, Gold L, Jarvholm B, Alavanja MC, Ward MH, Vermeulen R (2007) Impaired lung function and lung cancer incidence in a cohort of Swedish construction workers. Thorax 62(1):51–56. doi:10.1136/thx.2006.064196

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rachiotis G, Drivas S, Kostikas K, Makropoulos V, Hadjichristodoulou C (2012) Respiratory tract mortality in cement workers: a proportionate mortality study. BMC Pulm Med 12:30. doi:10.1186/1471-2466-12-30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schuhmacher M, Domingo JL, Garreta J (2004) Pollutants emitted by a cement plant: health risks for the population living in the neighborhood. Environ Res 95(2):198–206. doi:10.1016/j.envres.2003.08.011

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smailyte G, Kurtinaitis J, Andersen A (2004) Mortality and cancer incidence among Lithuanian cement producing workers. Occup Environ Med 61(6):529–534

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Steenland K, Greenland S (2004) Monte Carlo sensitivity analysis and Bayesian analysis of smoking as an unmeasured confounder in a study of silica and lung cancer. Am J Epidemiol 160(4):384–392. doi:10.1093/aje/kwh211

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zemba S et al (2011) Emissions of metals and polychlorinated dibenzo(p)dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs) from Portland cement manufacturing plants: inter-kiln variability and dependence on fuel-types. Sci Total Environ 409(20):4198–4205. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.06.047

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zheng W, Shu XO, Ji BT, Gao YT (1996) Diet and other risk factors for cancer of the salivary glands: a population-based case-control study. Int J Cancer 67(2):194–198. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1097-0215(19960717)67:2<194::AID-IJC8>3.0.CO;2-O

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Preventive Medicine and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine, Chungbuk National University, 1 Chungdae-ro, Seowon-gu, Cheongju, 28644, Korea

    Sang-Yong Eom, Yong-Dae Kim & Heon Kim

  2. Gangwon Regional Cancer Center, Chuncheon, Korea

    Eun-Bi Cho & Moo-Kyung Oh

  3. Department of Preventive Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea

    Sun-Seog Kweon

  4. Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea

    Hae-Sung Nam

  5. Chungbuk Regional Cancer Center, Cheongju, Korea

    Heon Kim

Authors
  1. Sang-Yong Eom
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Eun-Bi Cho
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Moo-Kyung Oh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Sun-Seog Kweon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Hae-Sung Nam
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Yong-Dae Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Heon Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Heon Kim.

Ethics declarations

Funding

This study was supported by a grant from the National R&D Program for Cancer Control, Ministry of Health & Welfare, Republic of Korea (1120330).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Eom, SY., Cho, EB., Oh, MK. et al. Increased incidence of respiratory tract cancers in people living near Portland cement plants in Korea. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 90, 859–864 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-017-1244-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-017-1244-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation