Bollaerts, K., Fierens, S., Simons, K., Francart, J., Poffijn, A., Sonck, M., Van Bladel, L., Geraerts, D., Gosselin, P., Van Oyen, H., Van Eycken, L., & Van Nieuwenhuyse, A. (2012). Monitoring of possible health effects of living in the vicinity of nuclear sites in Belgium. Is there an increased incidence of childhood leukaemia? . In International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA) (pp. 386). Article P01.75

@inbook{ecaa581aa2014527afd80ada1ddcc93e,
title = "Monitoring of possible health effects of living in the vicinity of nuclear sites in Belgium.: Is there an increased incidence of childhood leukaemia? ",
abstract = "Introduction This study has been carried out at the demand of the Belgian Minister of Social Affairs and Public Health to assess, by means of an epidemiological study at the national level, possible health effects of living in the vicinity of nuclear sites. Objectives To investigate (1) whether there is an excess in incidence of acute leukaemia in children aged 0-14 years within the 20km proximity area around the nuclear sites in Belgium as compared to what is expected in a reference area, and (2) whether there is evidence for an (increasing) leukaemia risk with increasing {\textquoteleft}surrogate{\textquoteright} exposure around the nuclear sites, i.e. (i) residential proximity to the site, (ii) prevailing winds, and (iii) radio-active discharge estimates from the plants based on mathematical modeling. Methodology Ecological study around the nuclear installations of Class 1 in Belgium, i.e. the nuclear power plants of Doel and Tihange, the nuclear sites of Mol and Fleurus, and the Belgian territory within the 20km proximity area around the nuclear power plant of Chooz (France). Cancer incidence data were retrieved from the Belgian Cancer Registry (BCR), a population-based registry at the national level. For this study, leukaemia data were available from 2002 till 2008 for Flanders and from 2004 till 2008 for Brussels and Wallonia. Age-and sex-specific population data for this period were collected from the Federal Public Service (FPS) Economy, S.M.E.s, Self-employed and Energy. Dat a on socio-economic status and urban-rural situation were included as covariates. To study a possible excess of childhood leukaemia, age- and sex-standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated and Poisson regression was carried out. In a further step, we conducted a sensitivity analysis by varying the radius of the proximity area; SIRs and RRs were then recalculated for each of these areas of proximity with increasing radii. The hypotheses of increasing childhood leukaemia incidence with increasing levels of {\textquoteleft}surrogate{\textquoteright} exposure were tested by means of focused hypothesis tests (conditional forms), i.e. Stone{\textquoteright}s Likelihood ratio test and Bithell Linear Risk Score Test. To facilitate the interpretation of the results from the focused hypothesis tests, the {\textquoteleft}exposure{\textquoteright}-response relations were estimated and visualized using varying coefficient models. Results Results of the study will be presented and discussed at the Congress.",
author = "Kaatje Bollaerts and S{\'e}bastien Fierens and Koen Simons and Julie Francart and Andr{\'e} Poffijn and Michel Sonck and \{Van Bladel\}, Lodewijk and David Geraerts and Pol Gosselin and \{Van Oyen\}, Herman and \{Van Eycken\}, Liesbet and \{Van Nieuwenhuyse\}, An",
year = "2012",
month = may,
day = "13",
language = "English",
pages = "386",
booktitle = "International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA)",
note = "13th International Congress of the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA) ; Conference date: 13-05-2012 Through 18-05-2012",
}