Publications by authors named "David Geraets"
This paper describes an ecological study investigating whether there is an excess incidence of acute leukaemia among children aged 0-14 years living in the vicinity of the nuclear sites in Belgium. Poisson regression modelling was carried out for proximity areas of varying sizes. In addition, the hypothesis of a gradient in leukaemia incidence with increasing levels of surrogate exposures was explored by means of focused hypothesis tests and generalized additive models.
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- The NUCABEL study found increased thyroid cancer rates among people living near two Belgian nuclear sites (Mol-Dessel and Fleurus), prompting further investigation.
- Researchers reanalyzed data to explore whether cancer incidence increased with proximity to the nuclear sites and levels of exposure to radioactive discharges.
- Results indicated no significant link for Mol-Dessel, while Fleurus showed borderline significance, suggesting more research is needed, especially since it is a major producer of radio-iodines in Europe.
Article Synopsis
- Concerns about public health related to nuclear activities date back to the 1980s, with most research focusing on childhood leukemia, while thyroid cancer is also a potential health issue due to exposure to radioactive iodine isotopes from these sites.
- This ecological study aimed to assess whether there is a higher incidence of thyroid cancer among residents living near nuclear sites, using statistical methods to analyze cancer rates within a defined proximity area of 20 km around the plants.
- The findings indicated no significant increase in thyroid cancer rates near major plants like Doel and Tihange, but showed higher-than-expected rates around the Mol-Dessel and Fleurus sites, suggesting a need for further investigation into localized nuclear activities and their health impacts.