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Association of leukemia with radium groundwater contamination.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Lyman, GH; Lyman, CG; Johnson, W
Published in: JAMA
August 2, 1985

Radiation exposure, including the ingestion of radium, has been causally associated with leukemia in man. Groundwater samples from 27 counties on or near Florida phosphate lands were found to exceed 5 pCi/L total radium in 12.4% of measurements. The incidence of leukemia was greater in those counties with high levels of radium contamination (greater than 10% of the samples contaminated) than in those with low levels of contamination. Rank correlation coefficients of .56 and .45 were observed between the radium contamination level and the incidence of total leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia, respectively. The standardized incidence density ratio for those in high-contamination counties was 1.5 for total leukemia and 2.0 for acute myeloid leukemia. Further investigation is necessary, however, before a causal relationship between groundwater radium content and human leukemia can be established.

Duke Scholars

Published In

JAMA

ISSN

0098-7484

Publication Date

August 2, 1985

Volume

254

Issue

5

Start / End Page

621 / 626

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Water Pollutants, Radioactive
  • Water Pollutants
  • Risk
  • Radium
  • Maximum Allowable Concentration
  • Leukemia, Radiation-Induced
  • Humans
  • General & Internal Medicine
  • Florida
  • 42 Health sciences
 

Citation

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Lyman, G. H., Lyman, C. G., & Johnson, W. (1985). Association of leukemia with radium groundwater contamination. JAMA, 254(5), 621–626.
Lyman, G. H., C. G. Lyman, and W. Johnson. “Association of leukemia with radium groundwater contamination.JAMA 254, no. 5 (August 2, 1985): 621–26.
Lyman GH, Lyman CG, Johnson W. Association of leukemia with radium groundwater contamination. JAMA. 1985 Aug 2;254(5):621–6.
Lyman, G. H., et al. “Association of leukemia with radium groundwater contamination.JAMA, vol. 254, no. 5, Aug. 1985, pp. 621–26.
Lyman GH, Lyman CG, Johnson W. Association of leukemia with radium groundwater contamination. JAMA. 1985 Aug 2;254(5):621–626.
Journal cover image

Published In

JAMA

ISSN

0098-7484

Publication Date

August 2, 1985

Volume

254

Issue

5

Start / End Page

621 / 626

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Water Pollutants, Radioactive
  • Water Pollutants
  • Risk
  • Radium
  • Maximum Allowable Concentration
  • Leukemia, Radiation-Induced
  • Humans
  • General & Internal Medicine
  • Florida
  • 42 Health sciences