Petrol station proximity increases leukemia risk four fold

Main Category: Lymphoma / Leukemia / Myeloma
Article Date: 19 Aug 2004 - 17:00 PDT


A child who lives near a petrol (gas) station is four times more likely to develop leukemia than a child who lives far away from one, according to a new study carried out in France.

Scientists examined the medical records and addresses of 500 infants. They found that that children living near a petrol station or commercial garage (repair garage) were four times as likely to get leukemia when compared to infants who lived far away from one.

You can read about this study in the Occupational and Environmental Medicine journal.

The researchers found that the longer a child remained living near the gas station the higher his/her risk became.

Leukemia is the most common type of childhood cancer in industrial nations (developed countries). The average incidence is 4 children in every 100,000.

The study was carried out after it was found that exposure to benzene in the workplace increases the risk for adults.

Acute non-lymphoblastic leukemia is seven times more likely to appear in children who live close to a petrol station or commercial garage.

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