Gainesville residents exposed to the contaminated dust and soil from the Cabot-Koppers Superfund site are not at an increased risk for developing cancer, according to an analysis by the Florida Department of Health.
The study, released Friday, compared the number of reported cancer cases in the Stephen Foster neighborhood census tract with the number of expected cases.
The department calculated the expected rate by looking at the state's cancer rates as reported by the Florida Cancer Data System and census data between 1980 and 2000.
During this 20-year period, there were 447 reported cases of cancer in the neighborhoods surrounding the Superfund site - 74 fewer cases than expected.
These results suggest the health risks as a result of exposure to the contaminated dust and soil are low, said Anthony Dennis, the environmental health director of the Alachua County Health Department.
The study looked at 18 types of cancer, including leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and kidney, liver, pancreatic and bladder cancers - the illnesses most commonly associated with contaminated households.
Many people have moved in and out of the area, making it difficult to track people who may have been diagnosed with cancer after moving away and to identify people who may have moved to the area with pre-existing conditions.
The Department of Health will conduct a second review once the 2010 census data becomes completely available in the fall.
This study will include the reported cancer cases from 2000 to 2008.
Dennis said a group is also being formed to test homes in the area for dust contaminated with dioxin - a toxic compound often associated with cancer that has been found in the soil near the Cabot-Koppers site.
"We will continue to do soil sampling and review data," he said. "But with what the health department knows and the data we've evaluated, the health risks continue to appear low."
