SEX-RATIOS OF BIRTHS, MORTALITY, AND AIR-POLLUTION - CAN MEASURING THE SEX-RATIOS OF BIRTHS HELP TO IDENTIFY HEALTH-HAZARDS FROM AIR-POLLUTION IN INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENTS

Objectives-To compare the sex ratios of births and mortality in 12 Sco ttish localities with residential exposure to pollution from a variety of industrial sources with those in 12 nearby and comparable localiti es without such exposure. Methods-24 localities were defined by postco de sectors. SMRs for lung cancer and for all causes of death and sex r atios of births were calculated for each locality for the years 1979-8 3. Log linear regression was used to assess the relation between expos ure, sex ratios, and mortality. Results-Mortalities from all causes we re consistently and significantly higher in the residential areas expo sed to air pollution than in the non-exposed areas. A similar, but les s consistently significant, excess of mortality from lung cancer in th e exposed areas was also found. The associations between exposure to t he general air pollution and abnormal sex ratios, and between abnormal sex ratios and mortality, were negligible. Conclusions-Sex ratios wer e not consistently affected when the concentrations or components of t he air pollution were insufficiently toxic to cause substantially incr eased death rates. Monitoring of the sex ratio does not provide a reli able screening measure for detecting cryptic health hazards from indus trial air pollution in the general residential environment.