ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Non-Dioxin-Like PCBs – the Key Air Pollutant
Associated with Lung Cancer in 15 Cities
in Silesia
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1
Department of Environmental Health Risk Factors, School of Public Health in Bytom, Medical University
of Silesia in Katowice, Bytom, Poland
2
Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
3
Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health in Bytom, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice,
Bytom, Poland
Submission date: 2018-10-10
Final revision date: 2019-01-02
Acceptance date: 2019-01-12
Online publication date: 2019-10-24
Publication date: 2020-01-16
Corresponding author
Małgorzata Ćwieląg-Drabek
Department of Environmental Health Risk Factors, School of Public Health in Bytom, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Piekarska 18, 41-902 Bytom, Poland., Poland
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2020;29(2):1111-1117
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ABSTRACT
We investigated the relationship between atmospheric pollutants and lung cancer incidence in
Silesia. The key aim was to answer the question whether differences in lung cancer incidence across
cities in Silesia can be explained in part by differences in air pollution exposure, and which carcinogenic
pollutants are the most important risk factors. We used data from the National Health Fund to measure
lung cancer incidence in each city. Measurements of PM10 and specific pollutants, including B[a]P, Cd,
and PCBs, were taken from monitoring stations and a regional study. The linear regression model was
used to investigate the relationship between individual pollutants and the incidence rate of lung cancer.
Multivariate regression analysis was also carried out to assess the combined effect of pollutants on lung
cancer incidence. In the multivariate model, exposure to ndl-PCBs appears to be the most significant
predictor of lung cancer incidence (among women) when controlling the mixture of pollutants. The
results of our study suggest that while overall pollution levels in Silesia have decreased, substantial
disparities remain in pollution exposure and in lung cancer incidence. It is important to note that, for
Silesia, the sources of ndl-PCBs tend to be associated with specific domestic or small-scale activities,
such as burning plastic waste.