Study of congenital malformations among the progeny of the personnel of an interforce military shooting range in Sardinia, Italy. / Studio sulla comparsa di malformazioni congenite nella progenie del personale del Poligono Interforze del Salto di Quirra (Sardegna).

BACKGROUND: Claims of an excess of congenital malformations in a village nearby the military shooting range of Salto di Quirra (PISQ), Sardinia have attracted media attention. OBJECTIVE: To verify such reports with a retrospective study of the reproductive history of the PISQ personnel. METHODS: In 2011, we interviewed 390 soldiers employed at the PISQ shooting range (86.7% of the total workforce) about their reproductive history, including age at first conception, number of live births and spontaneous abortions, and cases of malformations among their progeny, as well as work history and lifestyle habits. We used a job-exposure matrix to assess occupational exposure to radiofrequency, extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields, solvents and nanoparticles, and whether holding an operative job in the shooting range areas. RESULTS: The rate of congenital malformations among the progeny of the study subjects was close to the expectation (20.2x10^-3 live births, 95% CI 6.3-34.0; 8 cases observed versus 8.6 expected based on the 2005 rate of the Emilia Romagna region), it was lower in the years subsequent to the onset of service at PISQ (11.0x10^-3, 95% CI 0.0-26.1; two cases observed versus 3.9 expected), and it did not vary by residence in the surrounding villages or elsewhere. None of the exposures we assessed was associated with an increase in the rate of congenital malformations. CONCLUSIONS: The limited statistical power of our study allows to exclude that a strong excess of congenital malformations occurred among the progeny of the PISQ shooting range personnel.

Mortality of the personnel of an interforce military shooting range in Sardinia, Italy: 1990-2010. / Mortalità del personale operante in in poligono miluitre interforze della Sardegna: 1990-2010.

BACKGROUND: As several media reports suggested an increase in cancer mortality in the surrounding area, we investigated the mortality experience of the military personnel of the Interforce shooting range of Salto di Quirra (PISQ) in Sardinia, Italy. METHODS: Based on the PISQ registers, we reconstructed the cohort of 6,828 military personnel who had been employed at PISQ for at least six months on January 1, 1990 or entered subsequently up to June 30, 2005. We searched for life status or date, place, and cause of death of each cohort member up to December 31, 2010. Based on job and operating department, we preliminarily assessed exposure of each cohort member to radiofrequencies, solvents, nanoparticles, servicing in shooting ranges, participation to peacekeeping operations abroad, and undergoing vaccination procedures while in service. For each cause of interest, we calculated the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) and its 95% confidence interval, based on the Italian and regional rates specific for age, gender and year of follow-up. RESULTS: Mortality from all causes showed a significant decrease over the expectation, based on the national and regional mortality rates (based on national rates: SMR=78, 95% CI 60-101; based on regional rates: SMR=66, 95% CI 52-84). Deaths from haemolymphatic malignancies matched the expectation from regional rates (7 cases vs 6,3 expected; SMR=111, 95% CI 38-326). We observed two deaths from neoplasms of the haemolymphopoietic system against 0.5 expected among solvent exposed cohort members. We did not observe any significant increase in mortality from all causes or specific causes of death in relation to the exposures we investigated. CONCLUSIONS: The study size was too small, and the follow-up not prolonged enough to conclude whether the operational activities at PISQ did result or not in increased risks of specific causes of death, including cancers, among the military personnel. Further follow-up will be needed before final conclusions can be drawn.

Lymphoma risk and occupational exposure to pesticides: results of the Epilymph study.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the role of occupational exposure to specific groups of agrochemicals in the aetiology of lymphoma overall, B cell lymphoma and its most prevalent subtypes. METHODS: In 1998-2003, 2348 incident lymphoma cases and 2462 controls were recruited to the EPILYMPH case-control study in six European countries. A detailed occupational history was collected in cases and controls. Job modules were applied for farm work including specific questions on type of crop, farm size, pests being treated, type and schedule of pesticide use. In each study centre, industrial hygienists and occupational experts assessed exposure to specific groups of pesticides and individual compounds with the aid of agronomists. We calculated the OR and its 95% CI associated with lymphoma and the most prevalent lymphoma subtypes with unconditional logistic regression, adjusting for age, gender, education and centre. RESULTS: Risk of lymphoma overall, and B cell lymphoma was not elevated, and risk of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) was elevated amongst those ever exposed to inorganic (OR=1.6, 95% CI 1.0 to 2.5) and organic pesticides (OR=1.5, 95% CI 1.0 to 2.1). CLL risk was highest amongst those ever exposed to organophosphates (OR=2.7, 95% CI 1.2 to 6.0). Restricting the analysis to subjects most likely exposed, no association was observed between pesticide use and risk of B cell lymphoma. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide limited support to the hypothesis of an increase in risk of specific lymphoma subtypes associated with exposure to pesticides.