Skip Navigation

Publication Detail

Title: Dust metal loadings and the risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Authors: Whitehead, Todd P; Ward, Mary H; Colt, Joanne S; Dahl, Gary; Ducore, Jonathan; Reinier, Kyndaron; Gunier, Robert B; Katharine Hammond, S; Rappaport, Stephen M; Metayer, Catherine

Published In J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol, (2015)

Abstract: We evaluated the relationship between the risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and the levels of metals in carpet dust. A dust sample was collected from the homes of 142 ALL cases and 187 controls participating in the California Childhood Leukemia Study using a high volume small surface sampler (2001-2006). Samples were analyzed using microwave-assisted acid digestion in combination with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, nickel, tin, tungsten, and zinc. Eight metals were detected in at least 85% of the case and control homes; tungsten was detected in <15% of homes. Relationships between dust metal loadings (μg metal per m(2) carpet) and ALL risk were modeled using multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for the child's age, sex, and race/ethnicity and confounders, including household annual income. A doubling of dust metal loadings was not associated with significant changes in ALL risk (odds ratio (95% confidence interval): arsenic: 0.96 (0.86, 1.07), cadmium: 0.92 (0.81, 1.05), chromium: 1.01 (0.90, 1.14), copper: 0.97 (0.91, 1.03), lead: 1.01 (0.93, 1.10), nickel: 0.95 (0.82, 1.09), tin: 0.96 (0.86, 1.08), and zinc: 0.94 (0.84, 1.05)). Our findings do not support the hypothesis that metals in carpet dust are risk factors for childhood ALL.

PubMed ID: 25736162 Exiting the NIEHS site

MeSH Terms: Arsenic/adverse effects; Arsenic/analysis; Cadmium/adverse effects; Cadmium/analysis; Case-Control Studies; Child; Child, Preschool; Chromium/adverse effects; Chromium/analysis; Copper/adverse effects; Copper/analysis; Dust/analysis*; Environmental Exposure/adverse effects; Environmental Exposure/analysis; Female; Humans; Infant; Lead/adverse effects; Lead/analysis; Male; Metals/adverse effects*; Metals/analysis; Nickel/adverse effects; Nickel/analysis; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/chemically induced*; Tin/adverse effects; Tin/analysis; Tungsten/adverse effects; Tungsten/analysis; Zinc/adverse effects; Zinc/analysis

Back
to Top