A critical assessment of geographic clusters of breast and lung cancer incidences among residents living near the Tittabawassee River,Michigan.
详细信息
文摘
The study assesses previously determined geographic clusters of breast and lung cancer incidences (Dai 2007) among residents living near the Tittabawassee River, Michigan using a new set of environmental factors. Breast and lung cancer data were acquired from the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH 2006), along with point source pollution data from the United States Environmental Protection Agency database (U.S. EPA 2007a). The datasets were used to determine whether there is a spatial association between disease risk and environmental contamination. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and spatial techniques were combined with statistical analysis to investigate local risk of breast and lung cancer. Results of the study suggest that geographic locations in close proximity to the river are associated with high risk of breast cancer, while the spatial clusters of lung cancer were detected in locations that are in close proximity to point source pollution. Geographic clusters of lung cancer were also observed in locations near to major highways. The results of this study are useful to researchers and governmental agencies for risk assessment, regulation and control of environmental contamination in the flood plain of the Tittabawassee River.