Female lung cancer mortality and sex ratios at birth near a petroleum refinery plant

This study was conducted to assess whether female mortality from lung cance r is associated with residence in communities adjacent to a petroleum refin ery plant and whether petroleum air pollution could affect the sex ratios o f births. The Kaohsiung Refinery of the Chinese Petroleum Corp. is the olde st oil refinery in Taiwan and is located between the Tso-Ying and the Nan-T zu municipalities. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) for female lung can cer and sex ratios of births were calculated for each municipality for the years 1971-1996. Cumulative-sum techniques were used to detect the occurren ce of changes in the SMRs. The study results show that mortality from femal e lung cancer rose gradually about 30 to 37 years after the operation of a petroleum refinery plant began. However, the association between exposure t o the petroleum air pollution and abnormal sex ratios at birth was not sign ificant. (C) 2000 Academic Press.