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"A11A-0025"

HR: 0800h
AN: A11A-0025
TI: Heavy Metal Content in Airborne Dust of Childhood Leukemia Cluster Areas: Even Small Towns Have Air Pollutants
AU: * Sheppard, P R
EM: sheppard@ltrr.arizona.edu
AF: Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 United States
AU: Witten, M L
EM: mwitten@peds.arizona.edu
AF: Department of Pediatrics Arizona Health Sciences Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 United States
AB: Currently in the US, there are at least two ongoing clusters of childhood leukemia, where the incidence rate over the last several years has exceeded the national norm. In Fallon, Nevada, a town of 8,000 people, 16 children have been diagnosed with leukemia since 1995, three of whom have died. In Sierra Vista, Arizona, a town of 38,000 people, 12 children have been diagnosed since 1998, two of whom have died. A possible third cluster of childhood leukemia and other cancers is being monitored in Elk Grove, California, a suburb of Sacramento. For the purpose of characterizing the heavy metal content of airborne dust of these three communities, total suspended particulate samples were collected from each town as well as from nearby towns that could be considered as control comparisons. Sampling was done using portable high-volume blowers and glass- or quartz-fiber filter media. Filters were measured for elemental concentrations using inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. To date, our most notable results are from the Nevada region. Compared to other control towns in the region, Fallon had significantly more tungsten in its airborne dust. Uranium was also higher in dust of Fallon than in other control towns. Uranium is a known health hazard, though it is not necessarily specifically related to childhood leukemia. The role of tungsten in childhood leukemia has not been widely studied. However, other research has identified tungsten exposure as an environmental concern in Fallon. A CDC study of human tissue samples from Fallon has shown high tungsten levels in people of Fallon, and a USGS study of drinking water in Fallon also has shown high tungsten there. Tree-ring research on selected trees has shown high tungsten values in recent rings compared to earlier rings. While these multiple indications of tungsten in the Fallon environment do not directly lead to the conclusion that tungsten causes leukemia, they do combine to suggest that biomedical research on the role of tungsten in childhood leukemia is justified. It is also worth noting in this session on megacities that environmental pollution issues are concerns not just of large cities, but also of small rural towns.
DE: 0305 Aerosols and particles (0345, 4801)
DE: 0345 Pollution--urban and regional (0305)
SC: Atmospheric Sciences [A]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting