Sydney Basin

This paper observes and compares patterns of above average rates of lung cancer occurrences in the Sydney metropolitan area with typical patterns of air pollution circulation within the Sydney basin, as well as with the locations of primary source and ‘sink’ areas of toxic air emissions. It establishes that there is a strong coincidence, which is unlikely be entirely due to the demographics of cigarette smokers. The paper also compares the Sydney patterns with patterns of cancer risk observed in overseas studies, and finds similar coincidences. Such coincidences raise broad, international-scale, health concerns and are worthy of further detailed study.