Association between hospital discharge rate for female breast cancer and residence in a zip code containing hazardous waste sites.

Background: Exposure to chemicals plays a role in risk of breast cancer. However, possible associations between risk of breast cancer and residential proximity to hazardous waste sites (HWSs) have not been reported.

Methods: We determined rates of hospital discharge with a diagnosis of female breast cancer in relation to residence in a zip code containing HWSs in New York State (NYS) after adjustment for ethnicity, age, income and urbanicity.

Association between residential proximity to fuel-fired power plants and hospitalization rate for respiratory diseases.

Background: Air pollution is known to cause respiratory disease. Unlike motor vehicle sources, fuel-fired power plants are stationary.

Objective: Using hospitalization data, we examined whether living near a fuel-fired power plant increases the likelihood of hospitalization for respiratory disease.

The role of residence near hazardous waste sites containing benzene in the development of hematologic cancers in upstate New York.

Objectives: Epidemiologic studies suggest an association between environmental exposure to benzene and hematologic cancers, but the relationship is not firmly established. The aim of this study was to assess the potential association between residence near hazardous waste sites containing benzene and hospitalization discharge rates for persons having hematologic cancers.

Materials And Methods: We determined the number of hospital discharges of people with hematologic cancers in New York State except for New York City for the years 1993 to 2008.

Association between residential proximity to PERC dry cleaning establishments and kidney cancer in New York City.

Perchloroethylene (PERC) is commonly used as a dry cleaning solvent and is believed to be a human carcinogen, with occupational exposure resulting in elevated rates of kidney cancer. Living near a dry cleaning facility using PERC has been demonstrated to increase the risk of PERC exposure throughout the building where the dry cleaning is conducted, and in nearby buildings. We designed this study to test the hypothesis that living in an area where there are many PERC dry cleaners increases PERC exposure and the risk of kidney cancer.

Impact of BRCA mutations on female fertility and offspring sex ratio.

Positive selection for inherited mutations in breast and ovarian cancer predisposing genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, may contribute to the high frequency of BRCA mutations among the Ashkenazi Jewish population. Impact of BRCA mutations on fertility has not been generally explored in epidemiologic studies. There are reports of distorted sex ratios in BRCA carrier families but these findings have been attributed to bias.

Asthma and infectious respiratory disease in relation to residence near hazardous waste sites.

The hypothesis that simply living near a hazardous waste site increases risk of exposure to chemicals was tested. Using data from the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System, which provides information on hospitalized patients, plus information on the location and contents of every known hazardous waste site in New York, the rates of hospitalization for asthma (ICD-9 493), infectious respiratory disease (ICD-9 460-466, 480-487, and 490-491), and Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (ICD-9 490-492 and 494-496) were determined among individuals who lived in (a) zip codes containing or abutting a hazardous waste site with persistent organic pollutants (POPs), (b) zip codes containing or abutting a hazardous waste site, but not one with POPs, and (c) zip codes that do not contain or abut an identified hazardous waste site. After adjustment for MHI, race, gender and urban or rural residence, there was a significantly elevated risk of asthma (rate ratio (RR) = 1.

Asthma and infectious respiratory disease in children--correlation to residence near hazardous waste sites.

Rates of hospitalization for asthma and respiratory infectious disease in children were modeled as a function of residence: (1) in a zip code containing a hazardous waste site with persistent organic pollutants ('POPs'); (2) in a zip code with a waste site that did not contain POPs ('other'); or (3) in a zip code without any identified waste site ('clean'), as well as other demographic covariates. After adjustment, living in a zip code containing a POPs waste site significantly increased the frequency of hospitalization for asthma and infectious respiratory disease. Living in a zip code with an 'other' waste site also increased hospitalization frequencies for both diseases.

Increased rate of hospitalization for diabetes and residential proximity of hazardous waste sites.

Background: Epidemiologic studies suggest that there may be an association between environmental exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and diabetes.

Objective: The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that residential proximity to POP-contaminated waste sites result in increased rates of hospitalization for diabetes.

Methods: We determined the number of hospitalized patients 25-74 years of age diagnosed with diabetes in New York State exclusive of New York City for the years 1993-2000.

Exposure to persistent organic pollutants and hypertensive disease.

Previous research suggests that exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) increases the risk of chronic diseases such as hypertension. We identified the zip codes of more than 800 waste sites contaminated with POPs and other pollutants, based on which we classified zip codes of upstate New York into three groups: "POPs sites", zip codes containing hazardous waste sites with POPs; "other waste sites", zip codes containing hazardous waste sites but not with POPs; and "clean sites", zip codes without any known hazardous waste sites. Age, gender, race, and zip code of residence of patients diagnosed with hypertension (ICD-9 codes 401-404) were identified using the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) for the years 1993-2000.

Hazardous waste sites and stroke in New York State.

Background: Environmental exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) may lead to elevation of serum lipids, increasing risk of atherosclerosis with thromboembolism, a recognized cause of stroke. We tested the hypothesis that exposure to contaminants from residence near hazardous waste sites in New York State influences the occurrence of stroke.

Methods: The rates of stroke hospital discharges were compared among residents of zip codes containing hazardous waste sites with POPs, other pollutants or without any waste sites using information for 1993-2000 from the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) database, containing the records of all discharge diagnoses for patients admitted to state-regulated hospitals.