Leukaemia link to petrol stations

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Leukaemia link to petrol stations

 

Aug 19 2004

 

 

 

Living near a petrol station or commercial garage may

quadruple the risk of childhood leukaemia.

 

The study in France found a link between cases of

acute leukaemia among youngsters and how close they

lived to a petrol station or a garage carrying out car

repairs.

 

Past research has shown an association between

occupational exposure to benzene - a cancer-causing

hydrocarbon derived from petrol - and leukaemia in

adults.

 

The latest study, published in the journal

Occupational and Environmental Medicine, suggests a

similar link among youngsters living near

benzene-emitting sources like garage and petrol

stations.

 

The researchers, from the French National Institute of

Health and Medical Research, based their findings on

280 cases of childhood leukaemia and a comparison

group of 285 children.

 

The children were drawn from four hospitals in Nancy,

Lille, Lyon and Paris in France, with almost

two-thirds (60%) of the children with leukaemia aged

between two and six years old.

 

The team found no clear link between the mother's

occupation during pregnancy or levels of traffic

around where they lived and the risk of the child

developing leukaemia.

 

They also saw no link between leukaemia and living

near businesses such as those dealing with aluminium,

plastic, wood, metalwork, printing works and ceramics.

 

But a child whose home was near a petrol station or

garage was four times more likely to develop leukaemia

as a child whose home was not close to such a

business.

 

The researchers said the risk appeared to be even

greater for acute non-lymphoblastic leukaemia, which

was seven times more common among children living

close to a petrol station or garage. They also said

that the longer a child had lived close to a petrol

station or garage, the higher their risk of leukaemia

appeared to be.