Joseph Oppong and Sarah Whyman

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Air Pollution and Lung Cancer in Texas
Joseph Oppong and Sarah Whyman University of
North Texas
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Changing rates of cancer mortality at specific
sites, age adjusted to the US population 2000.
Source American Cancer Society
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1999 population
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Population 1999 with overlay of deaths, from 1980
to 1998.
Contrasting death and mortality rates
Population 1999 with overlay of mortality rate
from 1980 to 1998
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Average 22 of Texans are cigarette smokers
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Percentage of smokers and incidence rates
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Texas also has a very high allergy rate. Natural
air pollution from pollens was not investigated
and radon is at a moderate level in a few
counties but low in most of Texas
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Days when ozone exceeds the EPA standards
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Disproportionate NOx and PM emissions produced by
diesel-powered vehicles compared to the
percentage of diesel-powered vehicles on the road.
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Constituents of diesel exhaust
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These maps show total deaths from lung cancer
(left) and death rates (below) from 1980 to 1998
overlaying a map of diesel particulate matter.
Total deaths 1980 to 1998
The deaths are again higher and the death rates
lower in more populated counties, with higher
diesel exhaust concentrations also occurring in
these areas.
Death rates 1980 to 1998
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Total toxic pollutants with an overlay of
mortality rates. In contrast to other maps the
pollutants do not completely match the more
populated counties.
Pollutants in pounds
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Low population counties
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Table of low population counties
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Counties with low populations and high deaths
Rains - 240
Lampasas - 90
Sabine - 1600
Trinity - 0
Llano - 1700
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The pollutants released by electricity
production, with death rates overlaying.
Death Rates
Emissions, tons
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The current situation. In the first map it can
be seen that there are many counties where no
specific cancer care is available. Population in
1999 is also shown.
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Federal health care
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Percentage of elderly people living below the
poverty level, highlighting the inadequacy of the
federal centers - map repeated below
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This map offers the information on both federal
centers and cancer care centers with red markers
showing high mortality rates and blue markers
showing lowest rates, in the counties without
adequate health care.
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Health data in the US is not as comprehensive as
in many countries, due to aspects of private
health care and privacy laws, therefore it is
difficult to pinpoint specific cases. This study
was carried out at the county level, retaining
anonymity but losing accuracy. One of the main
points that emerged from the study is of health
care being an important factor, not only in
treatment, but in timely diagnosis of cancer and
in education outreach, as many forms of cancer
are linked to lifestyle. The political aspects of
the study are incriminating, in that industry has
powerful friends and risk factors are looked at
primarily from an economic perspective, rather
than health.
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I would not want this study to exonerate smoking
as a causal agent in lung cancer, although the
statistics show a negative correlation. Other
more powerful studies have identified tobacco
smoke as a powerful carcinogen.
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Health Data for this research came from Texas
Department of Health, http//www.tdh.state.tx.us T
exas Cancer Data Center, http//www.texascancerco
uncil.org Business and Industry Data Center,
http//www.bidc.state.tx.us Centers for Disease
Control, http//www.cdc.gov. Pollution Data
from Environmental Protection Agency Toxic
Release Inventory, http//www.epa.gov Texas
Environmental Profiles, http//www.texasep.org
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