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RECORD NUMBER: 21 OF 25

Main Title Mutagenicity, Carcinogenicity, and Human Cancer Risk from Indoor Exposure to Coal and Wood Combustion in Xuan Wei, China.
Author Mumford, J. L. ; Chapman, R. S. ; Nesnow, S. ; Helmes, C. T. ; Li, X. ;
CORP Author Health Effects Research Lab., Research Triangle Park, NC. ;SRI International, Menlo Park, CA. ;Institute of Environmental Health and Engineering, Beijing (China).
Publisher c1990
Year Published 1990
Report Number EPA/600/D-90/244;
Stock Number PB91-162586
Additional Subjects Air pollution ; Smoke ; Combustion products ; Airborne wastes ; Respiratory diseases ; Lung disease ; Public health ; Mutagenicity tests ; Carcinogenicity tests ; Lung cancer
Holdings
Library Call Number Additional Info Location Last
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Status
NTIS  PB91-162586 Some EPA libraries have a fiche copy filed under the call number shown. 07/26/2022
Collation 9p
Abstract
The residents in Xuan Wei County, China, have been exposed to high levels of combustion emissions from smoky and smokeless coal and wood combustion under unvented conditions in homes. An unusually high lung cancer mortality rate that can not be attributed to tobacco smoke or occupational exposure was found. The communes using smoky coal, which emits more organics than smokeless coal, generally have a higher lung cancer rate than the communes using smokeless coal or wood. The mutagenicity and carcinogenicity of organic extracts of indoor air particles collected from Xuan Wei homes during cooking were investigated. The objectives of the study were (1) to investigate the characteristics of lung cancer mortality in Xuan Wei, (2) to determine the genotoxicity and chemical and physical properties of the combustion emissions, and (3) to link bioassay results to human lung cancer data. The organic extracts of these emission particles were tested for mutagenicity in the Ames Salmonella and the L5178Y TK+/- mouse lymphoma assays and for skin tumor-initiating activity and complete carcinogenicity in SENCAR mice. The two coal samples whoed higher activity in both mutagenicity and tumor initiation. When the emission rate of organics was taken into consideration, the smoky coal emission showed the highest potency of the three fuels. The smoky coal sample was also a more potent complete carcinogen than the wood sample. Higher mutagenicity and carcinogenicity of the smoky coal emission compared to wood or smokeless coal emissions are in agreement with the epidemiological data.