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Parental occupational exposure to exhausts, solvents, glues and paints, and risk of childhood leukemia

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Abstract

Purpose

It is unknown whether parental occupational exposure to chemicals before during and after pregnancy increases the risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in the offspring. Few studies on this topic have assessed maternal exposures.

Methods

In an Australian case–control study of ALL in children aged <15 years, parents were asked about tasks they undertook in each job using a set of job-specific modules (JSMs). An expert reviewed the likelihood of exposure to exhausts, solvents, glues, and paints. Exposure was examined in each job 2 years, 1 year and anytime before birth of the child, and up to 1 year after birth of child.

Results

Solvent exposure was similar for case and control mothers in all time periods. More case mothers had moderate/high exposure to exhausts than control mothers anytime before the birth of the child (p = 0.010). Exposure to moderate or substantial levels of exhausts by mothers (OR = 1.97 95% CI 0.99–3.90) or fathers (OR = 1.37 95% CI 1.01–1.86) before the birth increased the risk of ALL in their offspring. Exposure to paints, pigments, glues, and resins was similar in case and control parents.

Conclusion

We found little evidence that parental occupational exposure to solvents, glues, and paints was associated with childhood ALL. There was some evidence ALL was associated with exhaust exposure.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Derry Houston for allocating the job specific modules. Aus-ALL was funded by The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Grant (254539). Alison Reid was supported by NHMRC Capacity Building Grant (546248), Helen Bailey was supported by NHMRC Post Graduate Scholarship (513934), Elizabeth Milne by NHMRC Career Development Award (513910), and Lin Fritschi by NHMRC Fellowship (513706).

Conflict of interest

None declared.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Western Australian Institute for Medical Research, M519, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia

    Alison Reid & Lin Fritschi

  2. Monash Centre for Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

    Deborah C. Glass

  3. Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia

    Helen D. Bailey & Elizabeth Milne

  4. Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia

    Bruce K. Armstrong

  5. Department of Oncology, John Hunter Children’s Hospital, New Lambton, NSW, Australia

    Frank Alvaro

  6. School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia

    Frank Alvaro

Authors
  1. Alison Reid
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  2. Deborah C. Glass
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  3. Helen D. Bailey
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  4. Elizabeth Milne
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  5. Bruce K. Armstrong
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  6. Frank Alvaro
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  7. Lin Fritschi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alison Reid.

Additional information

This study was conducted for the Aus-ALL Consortium. The details are given in the Appendix.

Appendix

Appendix

The Aus-ALL consortium conducted the study and the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research (TICHR), University of Western Australia, was the coordinating center. Bruce K Armstrong (Sydney School of Public Health), Elizabeth Milne (TICHR), Frank M van Bockxmeer (Royal Perth Hospital), Michelle Haber (Children’s Cancer Institute Australia), Rodney J Scott (University of Newcastle), John Attia (University of Newcastle), Murray D Norris (Children’s Cancer Institute Australia), Carol Bower (TICHR), Nicholas H de Klerk (TICHR), Lin Fritschi (WA Institute for Medical Research), Ursula R Kees (TICHR), Margaret Miller (Edith Cowan University), Judith R Thompson (WA Cancer Registry) were the research investigators and Helen D Bailey (TICHR) was the project coordinator. The clinical investigators were Frank Alvaro (John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle), Catherine Cole (Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth), Luciano Dalla Pozza (Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney), John Daubenton (Royal Hobart Hospital, Hobart), Peter Downie (Monash Medical Centre, Melbourne), Liane Lockwood (Royal Children’s Hospital, Brisbane), Maria Kirby (Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Adelaide), Glenn Marshall (Sydney Children’s Hospital, Sydney), Elizabeth Smibert (Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne), Ram Suppiah, (previously Mater Children’s Hospital, Brisbane).

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Reid, A., Glass, D.C., Bailey, H.D. et al. Parental occupational exposure to exhausts, solvents, glues and paints, and risk of childhood leukemia. Cancer Causes Control 22, 1575–1585 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-011-9834-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-011-9834-4

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