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Data, publications and reports
Investigation of Reported Cancers in Workers and Air Quality Concerns -- 6th Floor, King County Administration Building (February 2004)
The following are questions asked during the meetings with employees, answers to those questions, and other information about cancer clusters.
Click here for additional links on cancer and the connection between stress and cancer.
Questions on people with cancer:
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1.
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When you referred to the population age, was the age calculated at time of diagnosis or time of death?
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a. |
For individuals that matched to the Washington State Cancer Registry (WSCR), it was the age of diagnosis. For other individuals who did not match WSCR, but for whom we were able to obtain death certificate information, it was the age of death. We had age at diagnosis for all but two people. These two individuals had developed cancers that were rapidly fatal, so the age at diagnosis was unlikely to be more than one or two years earlier. For these two people, we used age at death in the time cluster analysis.
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| 2. |
How long had the employees worked at this location?
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a. |
Data was only available for 7 employees of the 14 that worked on the 6th floor. Of the 7 individuals for whom we had data, 3 worked 10 or fewer years in that location, and 2 worked fewer than 5 years there. Science indicates that most cancers develop after a latency period of 10 or more years; that is, the cancer does not develop until after a time has passed since exposure to the carcinogen, so for those people it is extremely unlikely that a workplace exposure could have caused cancer.
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3.
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How could stress affect cancer?
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a. |
Science has not determined a definitive link between stress and cancer, though there is increasing interest in this area. Stress can be difficult to measure; what is stress for one individual may not be stressful to another. We learned that one staff member has some papers she would be willing to send over for review. In addition, we are willing to do a literature review about the topic and pass that along to interested parties.
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4.
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What follow-up do you recommend?
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a. |
Since the data does not indicate a cancer problem related to working on the 6th floor, there is not evidence to recommend specific follow-up. That being said, we recognize that some employees may have further concerns or questions and we are available to answer questions or try to address other concerns. Our contact information is on the report. Employees are also encouraged to report air quality problems to the Facilities Management Work Order Coordinator, Lani Diaz, at 206-296-0641. Air quality monitoring can be requested by calling Tim Drangsholt at 206-296-0502. |
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b. |
Also, at the end of these FAQs we have listed some resources about investigation of cancer clusters.
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| 5. |
What's the second leading type of cancer in King County? |
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a. |
Prostate cancer. Although there were no cases of prostate cancer reported to us in this group, that is not unusual. Prostate cancer generally occurs in older men. On the sixth floor, there was not a large number of men falling into this category.
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| 6. |
From where did the list of people with cancer come? Was it a survey of the whole building? What about the rest of the building? Do you expect to see similar results on other floors? Any attempts to identify others with cancer? Could there be a difference in individuals who came forward and those who didn't? |
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a. |
The concerned employees reported the list of individuals to us. They listed everyone they knew with cancer. We do not have cancer data on any other floors.
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| 7. |
In looking at the gender distribution of cancer, it is occurring more frequently in women out of proportion to the percent of women working on the floor. Why? |
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From the data, it is impossible to say for sure why this is so. The percentage of women who developed cancer is not statistically significantly different from the percent of women who work on the 6th floor. This means the difference may well be due to chance, or random variation, alone. Also, looking at the kinds of cancer in the women-seven different kinds in the 12 women-it is extremely unlikely that they could have been caused by a workplace risk factor or exposure.
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| 8. |
Does more cancer appear to be occurring in later years? |
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a. |
If you assume that people's memories about the last five years were perfect, looking from 1999 on, there was one cancer per year, except for 2000 and 2003, when there were two in each year. This does not appear to be a pattern. People were trying to remember co-workers who had cancer from many years ago in some instances, and people are more likely to remember more recent events. |
Questions on air quality:
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9.
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Where would they do sample testing?
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a. |
The location of sample testing varied based on the type of sample taken. Dust testing was lifted off of desks and other furniture using tape that is then analyzed microscopically. Carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide are measured at various points in the building. Particulate matter for diesel exhaust was measured both inside and outside the building near the air intakes.
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| 10. |
Where are the air monitoring devices calibrated?
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a. |
Air monitoring devices are calibrated before each use by King County industrial hygienists, and are calibrated and certified regularly by independent labs. All of our equipment certification is current.
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Asbestos monitoring does not seem to cover the earthquake that happened in February 2001. We were advised not to come into the building because asbestos levels were unsafe, but some essential employees were required to report for work anyway. It took 3 days before the asbestos level was safe enough for the remainder of employees to return to work. Where is the testing data from this period?
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a. |
The data that was attached to the report was compiled by hand from all asbestos monitoring reports that were received for the period 1997 through 2003. None were received from that time, but we will ask again and will amend the information in the tables. The information will be updated on the web. (The asbestos monitoring data were received and reviewed, and have been added to the asbestos table. No high levels of asbestos were observed, but the building was closed so that fallen ceiling tiles could be cleaned up and structural damage could be assessed. No airborne asbestos hazard was found after the earthquake.)
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12.
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What should I do if I have a compromised ceiling tile?
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a. |
Call Facilities Management Work Order Coordinator, Lani Diaz, at 206-296-0641.
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| 13. |
Is it possible to eliminate the exhaust and cigarette smells that are blowing in our cubicles and offices? |
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One thing would be to move designated smoking areas away from the air intake system. During air monitoring it was noticed that a number of smokers congregated near the intakes. Unfortunately, due to the design of the building, the air intakes are on the 2nd floor mezzanine. Because some components of diesel exhaust (oxides of nitrogen and oxides of sulfur) are detectable to human noses in very low concentrations, we are able to smell diesel exhaust at levels much lower than the allowable exposure levels. Due to the design of the building's air intake system, it is not currently possible to mitigate the occasional diesel smell.
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| 14. |
Do you monitor air quality in the building year-round? |
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No, air monitoring is conducted on a request basis.
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When did the county start monitoring air quality? |
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In the 1980s. However, as science has progressed, more sophisticated and sensitive sampling techniques have been developed. It's now possible to measure many more substances than ever before.
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| 16. |
How long do you leave a monitor in place? |
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It varies according to the type of sampling being done. It can be anything from an instantaneous sample to a week-long sample.
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| 17. |
Could individuals experiencing the smells have a monitoring device at their cubicle to activate for an air sample when the smell happens? |
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At the current time, King County doesn't have equipment to be able to do this, but we will look into the possibility.
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| 18. |
The only successful air quality test for diesel exhaust occurred on the 6th floor in the lunch room, which is in the center of the building. Could more air quality tests happen? |
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a. |
Two successful tests for diesel exhaust particulate were taken on the 6th floor (the third was eliminated because someone turned off the sampling pump), and one sample was taken on the 2nd floor for comparison purposes. We have no reason to believe that diesel particulate is entering the building. No more diesel particulate samples are warranted, but other types of air quality monitoring can be done for general air quality analysis. |
Administrative questions:
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| 19. |
What is the length of sick leave on the 6th floor as it compares to others? |
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a. |
Sick leave has previously been studied in all of Finance. It is consistent with what is seen in the rest of King County. There is no significant deviation in the Unit as a whole, though management expressed a willingness to look into it again. One of the issues is how to determine the cause and effect as well as abuse of sick leave. Why are people taking sick leave?
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| 20. |
Is the leave of sick leave getting longer? |
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a. |
Yes. But this phenomenon is not specific to the 6th floor or to Finance as a unit. The whole of King County takes longer sick leave. One explanation could be that individuals are being more consciences about taking care of themselves.
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| 21. |
What does an independent review mean? |
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a. |
We had individuals outside King County review our procedures, analysis, and results. These individuals have experience in cancer cluster evaluation and occupational hazards.
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Cancer cluster information
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We recognize that the information and conclusions presented in this report may not have satisfied all staff, and the time may not have been sufficient to clearly discuss the limitations of a study of this kind. We felt information about investigations of cancer clusters might be useful, and have included the web links below from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Yahoo, and universities on a variety of topics, and we will add other sites and materials as if suggestions are forwarded to us.
Unfortunately, most cancer cluster investigations do not find a cause. The CDC website recounts the national experience in investigating cancer clusters: "From 1961 to 1982, CDC investigated 108 reported cancer clusters in 29 states and 5 foreign countries in an attempt to identify a single cause of cancer; however, no clear cause was determined for any of the reported clusters. Since the mid-1980s, no CDC staff members have been dedicated to working full-time to identify and investigate cancer clusters. In June 2002, CDC's National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) began to operate the Cancer Cluster Triaging System (CCTS), which provides responses to the public's inquiries about cancer clusters. CCTS is a joint effort of NCEH, CDC's Cancer Prevention and Control Program, CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry."
External websites on cancer cluster investigations
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From the CDC:
Washington State Department of Health Protocol for Cancer Cluster Investigations:
Yahoo site on Cancer Clusters:
Love Canal
Fallon, NV
External websites on general information about cancer and the connection between stress and cancer
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General information on cancer:
Psychological stress and cancer:
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