2013 Conference of the International Medical Geology Association (25–29 August 2013)

Paper No. 5
Presentation Time: 3:50 PM

ADEQUACY OF HUMAN HEALTH DATA SOURCES FOR EVALUATING SPATIALLY-DISTRIBUTED MESOTHELIOMA RISK FACTORS


WEISSMAN, David1, MILLER, Aubrey2, LOCKEY, James E.3, WOOD, John4, BAUMANN, Francine5, RYAN, Patrick H.6, PLUMLEE, Geoffrey S.7, SAN JUAN, Carma A.8, WEIS, Christopher P.2 and BENNETT, April L.2, (1)Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morg Building H, Rm 2920, MS 2900, Morgantown, WV 26505, (2)National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 27709, (3)University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, (4)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV 26505, (5)University of Hawaii Cancer Center, 651 Ilalo Street, Suite BSB231, Honolulu, HI 96813, (6)Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati, OH 45229, (7)U.S. Geological Survey, MS 964 Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225, (8)U.S. Geological Survey, Central Mineral and Environmental Resources Science Center, P.O. Box 25046, MS 973, Denver, CO 80225, miller.aubrey@nih.gov

Recently, an interdisciplinary group of health and earth scientists was assembled to explore how existing U.S. geologic and public health data can be linked to assess if exposure to erionite and other environmentally-occurring elongate mineral particles (EMP) increases the risk for disease typically seen with asbestos exposures, such as mesothelioma. An important barrier to this effort is the limited availability of spatially-distributed, publicly-available health information that can be paired to existing geospatial, meteorological, and other data relevant to EMP exposures. This abstract describes several sources of spatially-distributed information about mesothelioma that could be used in this effort. Mesothelioma is especially of interest because it is strongly related to asbestos and erionite exposure. County-level mesothelioma data on a national basis were identified. These mortality data are collected by states and distributed by CDC with restrictions on use to protect confidentiality. No comprehensive, publicly-available national source of mesothelioma incidence (morbidity) data was identified. However, for some states, comprehensive county-level mesothelioma incidence data can be obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute. One state with complete information is California, which is of particular interest because of its many deposits of EMP. Summary information from these 2 data sources is as noted:
Time Interval Available # of Cases % M / F % age < 55 y # of Counties with: 0 cases 1 – 4 cases 5 – 9 cases > 10 cases
Mortality (National)

1999-2010

31,490

80 / 20

6

674

1,326

483

659

Mortality (California)

1999-2010

3,159

79 / 21

7

5

6

8

39

SEER Incidence (California)

2000-2010

3,523

77 / 23

10

5

8

6

39

Thus, relevant data concerning mesothelioma are available, but are limited to the county level in their spatial information content. Creation and access to more detailed spatial health effects information would provide a valuable tool for evaluating the potential risks for adverse health outcomes among those living and working around environmentally occurring EMP deposits. This work was conducted as part of a US Geologic Survey Working Group supported by the John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis, funded by USGS.
<< Previous Abstract | Next Abstract