CANCER INCIDENCE FOR CHILDREN BORN IN A SMELTING COMMUNITY

The Ronnskar smelter in Skelleftea, Sweden, produces significant envir onmental pollutants, such as lead, arsenic, copper, cadmium and sulphu r dioxide. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether c hildren born to women living near the smelter during pregnancy had an increased risk of childhood cancer. The study group consisted of child ren born between 1961 and 1990 in the municipality of Skelleftea and p arish of Holmsund. Through linkage to the Swedish Cancer Registry canc er diagnoses in the study group were obtained and compared with the ex pected ones based on the national incidence rates, Thirteen cases of c hildhood cancer were identified among children born in the vicinity of the smelter against 6.7 expected (SIR 195, 95%CI 88-300), Among dista nt born the observed number of cases (n=42) was similar to that expect ed (n=41.8).