Mortality among Children Residing near the American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO) Copper Smelter in Ruston, Washington

A retrospective cohort study was undertaken to determine whether childhood exposure to ambient arsenic was associated with increased mortality rates. Cohort members comprised children who had lived within 4.0 km (2.5 mi) of the American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO) copper smelter and arsen...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Archives of environmental health 2003-11, Vol.58 (11), p.683-691
Main Authors: Tollestrup, Kristine, Frost, Floyd J., Harter, Lycy C., McMillan, Garnett P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Arsenic
Arsenic Poisoning - epidemiology
Biological and medical sciences
Censuses
Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases
Child
Child Mortality
Child, Preschool
Cohort Studies
Copper
Environment. Living conditions
Environmental Exposure - statistics & numerical data
Female
historical cohort studies
Housing. Living conditions
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Male
Medical sciences
Metallurgy
Metals and various inorganic compounds
Proportional Hazards Models
Public health. Hygiene
Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine
Residence Characteristics
Retrospective Studies
Risk Factors
Toxicology
Washington - epidemiology
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Summary:A retrospective cohort study was undertaken to determine whether childhood exposure to ambient arsenic was associated with increased mortality rates. Cohort members comprised children who had lived within 4.0 km (2.5 mi) of the American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO) copper smelter and arsenic refinery in Ruston, Washington, for at least 2 yr during the time period from 1907 to 1932. The cohort included 1,827 boys and 1,305 girls identified from school census records. Exposure intensity was computed as the total number of years a child had lived at a residence less than 1.6 km (1.0 mi) from the smelter stack during the study period. In only one exposure intensity group (i.e., residence ⩾ 10.0 yr less than 1.6 km [1.0 mi] from the smelter) for boys were Cox proportional hazards ratios significantly higher than 1.00: for all causes of death (1.52), ischemic heart disease (1.77), and external causes (1.93). For girls, hazard ratios were not elevated significantly for any cause of death in any exposure intensity group.
ISSN:0003-9896
2331-4303
DOI:10.3200/AEOH.58.11.683-691