Geographical differences in cancer incidence in the Amazon basin of Ecuador in relation to residence near oil fields.
نویسندگان
چکیده
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 free from oil exploitation. METHODS Cancer cases from the provinces of Sucumbios, Orellana, Napo and Pastaza during the period 1985-1998 were included in the study. The exposed population was defined as those living in a county (n = 4) where oil exploitation had been ongoing for a minimum of 20 years up to the date of the study. Non-exposed counties were identified as those (n = 11) without oil development activities. Relative risks (RR) along with 95% CI were calculated for men and women as ratios of the age-adjusted incidence rates in the exposed versus non-exposed group. RESULTS The RR of all cancer sites combined was significantly elevated in both men and women in exposed counties. Significantly elevated RR were observed for cancers of the stomach, rectum, skin melanoma, soft tissue and kidney in men and for cancers of the cervix and lymph nodes in women. An increase in haematopoietic cancers was also observed in the population under 10 years in the exposed counties in both males and females. CONCLUSION Study results are compatible with a relationship between cancer incidence and living in proximity to oil fields. An environmental monitoring and cancer surveillance system in the area is recommended.
منابع مشابه
Exposures and cancer incidence near oil fields in the Amazon basin of Ecuador.
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...
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...
متن کاملOutcomes of pregnancy among women living in the proximity of oil fields in the Amazon basin of Ecuador.
Oil companies have released billions of gallons of untreated wastes and oil directly into the environment of the Ecuadorian Amazon. This cross-sectional study investigated the environmental conditions and reproductive health of women living in rural communities surrounded by oil fields in the Amazon basin and in unexposed communities. Water from local streams was analyzed for total petroleum hy...
متن کاملCancer among indigenous people in the Amazon Basin of Ecuador, 1985-2000.
OBJECTIVE To provide some of the first data on cancer incidence among indigenous people in the Amazon basin of Ecuador, and to compare that incidence with the level found among nonindigenous persons living in that same area. METHODS From the study area 1 207 cancer cases were reported to the National Cancer Registry over the 1985-2000 period. Frequency and relative risks were calculated for t...
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ورودعنوان ژورنال:
- International journal of epidemiology
دوره 31 5 شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 2002