Brain cancer associated with environmental lead exposure: Evidence from implementation of a National Petrol-Lead Phase-Out Program (PLPOP) in Taiwan between 1979 and 2007

• Published in: Environment international Vol. 40; pp. 97 - 101
• Main Authors: Wu, Wei-Te, Lin, Yu-Jen, Liou, Saou-Hsing, Yang, Chun-Yuh, Cheng, Kuang-Fu, Tsai, Perng-Jy, Wu, Trong-Neng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Age-standardized incidence rates; Air Pollutants - blood; Air Pollution - legislation & jurisprudence; Biological and medical sciences; Blood lead levels (BLLs); Brain cancer; Brain Neoplasms - epidemiology; Environment. Living conditions; Environmental Exposure - statistics & numerical data; Environmental Policy; Gasoline; Humans; Incidence; Lead - blood; Medical sciences; Neurology; Petrol-lead emission areas (PLEA); Petrol-lead phase-out program (PLPOP); Petroleum Pollution - statistics & numerical data; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Taiwan - epidemiology; Tumors of the nervous system. Phacomatoses; Asia; Taiwan; Petrol-lead phase-out program (PLPOP); Blood lead levels (BLLs); Age-standardized incidence rates; Brain cancer; Petrol-lead emission areas (PLEA); Human; Nervous system diseases; Program; Toxicity; Leaded gasoline; Exposure; Malignant tumor; Epidemiology; Heavy metal; Cerebral disorder; Incidence; Trace element; Health and environment; Central nervous system disease; Lead; Blood lead level; Age; Cancer; Unleaded gasoline
• ISSN: 0160-4120; 1873-6750
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2011.06.009

In 1981, a Petrol-Lead Phase-Out Program (PLPOP) was launched in Taiwan for the abatement of environmental lead emissions. The present study was intended to examine whether the high Petrol-Lead Emission Areas (PLEA) would result in an increase in the incidence rate of brain cancer based on a national data bank. The national brain cancer incidence data was obtained from the Taiwan National Cancer Registry. Age standardized incidence rates were calculated based on the 2000 WHO world standard population, and gasoline consumption data was obtained from the Bureau of Energy. The differences in the trend tests for age-standardized incidence rates of brain cancer between high, median, low, and small PLEA were analyzed. A significant increase was found from small to high PLEA in age-standardized incidence rates of brain cancer. By taking six possible confounders into account, the age-standardized incidence rates for brain cancer were highly correlated with the median and high PLEA by reference to the small PLEA. After being adjusted for a number of relevant confounders, it could be concluded that high PLEA might result in an increase in the incidence rate of brain cancer resulting from high lead exposures. ► The Petrol-Lead Phase-Out Program caused the decrease in blood lead levels. ► Brain cancer incidence rates of different petrol lead emission areas were analyzed. ► Brain cancer incidence rates highly correlated with petrol lead emissions.