Environmental Integrity and the Incidence of Cancer

Pooja MehraThomas Shahady

Central Questions Concerning Environmental Degradation

• Human Environment Changes to Ecological Integrity

• Patterns in Lifestyle• Land Consumption and

Chemical Use • “A Part of Nature” or

“Apart from Nature”

Does Degradation of Water Quality Impact Our Lives

• A Critical Question when arguing for Protection

• Drinking water from distant sources – reservoirs and watersheds

• Degradation impacts to distant places – Chesapeake Bay

• Local Impact to our Health – Are we paying a price to our health?

• Costs for treatment.

Study

• Collection of Water Quality Data in Area– Use of Fish to reflect long term water quality changes– Hitt and Hendryx 2010

• Analyze Cancer Data from Cancer Registry in Area (Pooja Mehra – UVa Medical Student)– Calculation of cancer incidence based on reported

cases per population of area.• Look for correlations with Data

– Simple regressions and ANOVA analysis

Electroshock the Fish

IBI Measures DescriptionMeasure 1 – Total Fish Species This measurement decreases with increased overall

degradation.Measurement 2 – Total number of darter species/relative percent of darter species to the total.

This measure decreases with increasing sedimentation and decreased benthic oxygen supply. The many darter species found in our area are benthic insectivores living in riffles.

Measurement 3 – Total number/relative percent of water column insectivores

This number generally decreases with the loss of riparian vegetation.

Measurement 4 – Total number/relative percent of pool-benthic insectivores.

This is a measure of sedimentation and channelization as pool-benthic habitat increases.

Measurement 5 – Total number/relative percent of intolerant species.

This measure distinguishes high and moderate quality sites using species that are intolerant of various chemical and physical perturbations.

Measurement 6 – Relative abundance of tolerant species

This measurement increases with human influences. It is a general measure of degradation.

Measurement 7 – Relative abundance of omnivores or generalist feeders

The percent of omnivores in the community increases as the physical and chemical habitat deteriorates

Measurement 8 – Relative abundance of top carnivores

Systems with high integrity are able to support adequate (up to 10%) populations of sport fish piscivores

Measurement 9 – Deviation from ideal or number of individuals in sample

It is expressed as the deviation from an ideal community as measured throughout the region

2 0 2 Kilometers

N

Areas of Study

24588

24501

24502

24503

Cancer Type Correlation Coefficient

Significance (p value)

Total 0.45 0.001Breast 0.43 0.002Blood 0.002 0.84Urinary 0.018 0.57Genital Female 0.1 0.16Genital Male 0.05 0.33Respiratory 0.16 0.08Digestive 0.03 0.48Oral 0.008 0.7

Table 1 – Correlation Coefficients and Statistical Significance of all cancer types tested in our study. A simple ANOVA was used to test significance.

Breast Cancer

Ecological Integrity

5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Can

cer

Inci

denc

e

0.0000

0.0002

0.0004

0.0006

0.0008

0.0010

0.0012

0.0014

0.0016

Total Cancer

Ecological Integrity

5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Ca

nce

r In

cid

en

ce

0.00

0.02

0.04

0.06

0.08

Blood

Ecological Integrity

5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Can

cer

Inci

denc

e

0.0000

0.0001

0.0002

0.0003

0.0004

0.0005

Implications

Breast Cancer Triggers and the Environment

• Risk factors for breast cancer:

• Early onset of menstruation

• Late menopause• Hormone replacement

therapy• Birth control pills• Exposure to certain

chemicals, in plastics and pesticides

• Exposure to radiation

1. Xenoestrogens are chemicals that mimic estrogens. They can be found in lawn pesticides and certain types of plastic.

2. BPA is used in polycarbonate plastic bottles, lining of tin cans, and dental sealants.

3. Synthetic estrogen can disrupt a human’s endocrine system - DDT was the first “intentionally released” chemical to be found estrogenic.

Links to Suburban Lifestyle

• BPALawns and

Pesticides

DEA and TEA

Government Says 2 Common Materials Pose Risk of Cancer – June 2011

Formaldehyde Styrene

Conclusions

Difficult to make direct links to cancer but the relationship exists.

Our past work does link water quality degradation to destructive land use. This research provides a potential cancer link.

Is there a community planning risk here? Do land use decisions impact our health through the creation of urban sprawl and suburbs forcing suburban lifestyle choices?

Environmental Improvements and Health

• Rejection of Suburban Lifestyle– Local unpackaged foods and

beverages– Household and clothing goods– Lawns and household

environments• Broader solutions require

changes in development patterns– Less land disturbance and

consumption– Stream restoration– Clean energy and transportation