Superfund Locations and Potential Associations with Cancer Incidence in Florida

Abstract

Uncontrolled hazardous wastes sites have the potential to adversely impact human health and damage or disrupt ecological systems and the greater environment. Four decades have passed since the Superfund law was enacted, allowing increased exposure time to these potential health hazards while also allowing advancement of analysis techniques. Florida has the sixth highest number of Superfund sites in the US and, in 2016, Florida was projected to have the second largest number of new cancer cases in the US. We explore statewide cancer incidence in Florida from 1986 to 2010 to determine if differences or associations exist in counties containing Superfund sites compared to counties that do not. To investigate potential environmental associations with cancer incidence; results using spatial and nonspatial mixed models were compared. Using a Poisson–Gamma mixture model, our results provide some evidence of an association between cancer incidence rates and Superfund site hazard levels, as well as proxy measures of water contamination around Superfund sites. In addition, results build upon previously observed gender differences in cancer incidence rates and further indicate spatial differences for cancer incidence. Heterogeneity among cancer incidence rates were observed across Florida with some mild association with Superfund exposure proxies.

Keywords

• Cancer
• Cancer incidence
• Geographic information system (GIS) models
• Mapping
• Superfund