Cancer and birth defects near the Drake Superfund site, Pennsylvania

The Drake Superfund site in Clinton County, Pennsylvania, has been contaminated with the carcinogens beta-naphthylamine, benzidene, and benzene. The authors reviewed county-wide, age-adjusted, sex-, race-, and site-specific cancer mortality rates for the years 1950-1959, 1960-1969, and 1970-1979, and type-specific birth defects incidence rates for 1973-1978. During the 1970s, a significantly increased number of bladder cancer deaths occurred among white males in Clinton County, and a significantly increased number of other cancer deaths occurred in the general population of Clinton and three surrounding counties. There were no statistically significant clusters of any specific birth defect or of all birth defects. County-wide data on cancer and birth defects can be used for initially screening counties with Superfund sites, but more definitive studies are needed to assess the actual health effects caused by these sites.