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Groundwater uranium and cancer incidence in South Carolina

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Abstract

Objective

This ecologic study tested the hypothesis that census tracts with elevated groundwater uranium and more frequent groundwater use have increased cancer incidence.

Methods

Data sources included: incident total, leukemia, prostate, breast, colorectal, lung, kidney, and bladder cancers (1996–2005, SC Central Cancer Registry); demographic and groundwater use (1990 US Census); and groundwater uranium concentrations (n = 4,600, from existing federal and state databases). Kriging was used to predict average uranium concentrations within tracts. The relationship between uranium and standardized cancer incidence ratios was modeled among tracts with substantial groundwater use via linear or semiparametric regression, with and without stratification by the proportion of African Americans in each area.

Results

A total of 134,685 cancer cases were evaluated. Tracts with ≥50% groundwater use and uranium concentrations in the upper quartile had increased risks for colorectal, breast, kidney, prostate, and total cancer compared to referent tracts. Some of these relationships were more likely to be observed among tracts populated primarily by African Americans.

Conclusion

SC regions with elevated groundwater uranium and more groundwater use may have an increased incidence of certain cancers, although additional research is needed since the design precluded adjustment for race or other predictive factors at the individual level.

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Abbreviations

AA:

African American

CI:

Confidence interval

DHEC:

Department of Health and Environmental Control

EA:

European American

GIS:

Geographic information system

MCL:

Maximum contaminant level

NAWQA:

National Water-Quality Assessment

NURE:

National Uranium Resource Evaluation

RDL:

Reference dose level

SC:

South Carolina

SCCCR:

South Carolina Central Cancer Registry

SIR:

Standardized incidence ratio

USGS:

United States Geological Survey

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported, in part, by grant number 1 U01 CA114601 from the National Cancer Institute, Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities (Community Networks Program) to the South Carolina Cancer Disparities Community Network. Dr. Wagner is currently funded by a grant from the Georgia Cancer Coalition (Proposal number 038505). Dr. Hébert is supported by an Established Investigator Award in Cancer Prevention and Control from the Cancer Training Branch of the National Cancer Institute (K05 CA136975). The authors gratefully acknowledge input provided by R. William Field, PhD (University of Iowa, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health) and assistance with acquisition of groundwater uranium data from William Moore, PhD (University of South Carolina), Pete Stone, and Rob Devlin (South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, Bureau of Water).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Paul D. Coverdell Center for Biomedical and Health Sciences, University of Georgia, 500 D.W. Brooks Drive, Athens, GA, 30602-7396, USA

    Sara E. Wagner & John E. Vena

  2. Arnold School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA

    James B. Burch, Matteo Bottai & James R. Hébert

  3. Arnold School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA

    Robin Puett & Dwayne Porter

  4. South Carolina Statewide Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Columbia, SC, USA

    James B. Burch, Robin Puett & James R. Hébert

  5. South Carolina Central Cancer Registry, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, Columbia, SC, USA

    Susan Bolick-Aldrich

  6. College of Engineering & Science, Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA

    Tom Temples

  7. Public Health Statistics and Information Services, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, Columbia, SC, USA

    Rebecca C. Wilkerson

  8. WJB Dorn Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center, Columbia, SC, USA

    James B. Burch

  9. Unit of Biostatistics, Institute of Environmental Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

    Matteo Bottai

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  1. Sara E. Wagner
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  2. James B. Burch
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  10. James R. Hébert
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sara E. Wagner.

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Wagner, S.E., Burch, J.B., Bottai, M. et al. Groundwater uranium and cancer incidence in South Carolina. Cancer Causes Control 22, 41–50 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-010-9669-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-010-9669-4

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