Exposures and cancer incidence near oil fields in the Amazon basin of Ecuador.
نویسندگان
چکیده
OBJECTIVES To examine environmental exposure and incidence and mortality of cancer in the village of San Carlos surrounded by oil fields in the Amazon basin of Ecuador. METHODS Water samples of the local streams were analyzed for total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs). A preliminary list of potential cancer cases from 1989 to 1998 was prepared. Cases were compared with expected numbers of cancer morbidity and mortality registrations from a Quito reference population. RESULTS Water analysis showed severe exposure to TPHs by the residents. Ten patients with cancer were diagnosed while resident in the village of San Carlos. An overall excess for all types of cancer was found in the male population (8 observed v 3.5 expected) with a risk 2.26 times higher than expected (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.97 to 4.46). There was an overall excess of deaths for all types of cancer (6 v 1.6 expected) among the male population 3.6 times higher than the reference population (95% CI 1.31 to 7.81). CONCLUSIONS The observed excess of cancer might be associated with the pollution of the environment by toxic contaminants coming from the oil production.
منابع مشابه
Geographical differences in cancer incidence in the Amazon basin of Ecuador in relation to residence near oil fields.
BACKGROUND Since 1972, oil companies have extracted more than 2 billion barrels of crude oil from the Ecuadorian Amazon, releasing billions of gallons of untreated wastes and oil directly into the environment. This study aimed to determine if there was any difference in overall and specific cancer incidence rates between populations living in proximity to oil fields and those who live in areas ...
متن کاملOil Exploitation and Health in the Amazon Basin of Ecuador
Oil is a major source of income for Ecuador and since the 1970s has been the engine of the economy. The 1970s oil price boom lifted Ecuador’s economy formerly one of the poorest in Latin Americaby an average of 7% annually, with per capita income rising from 290 USD in 1972 to 1,200 USD in 2000. Today, oil continues to account for 40% of the nation export earnings and government budget. Most of...
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عنوان ژورنال:
- Occupational and environmental medicine
دوره 58 8 شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 2001