School of Environmental Science & Engineering, Suzhou University of Science & Technology, No.1 Kerui Road, Suzhou, China.
Land Quality Management Ltd, Nottingham, UK.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2019 Jan;26(2):1932-1946. doi: 10.1007/s11356-018-3758-4. Epub 2018 Nov 20.
China's economic boom has created many environmental and health challenges, including so-called cancer villages. This study, the first to use the lens of "cancer villages" at provincial level, examines the correlation between changes in Jiangsu cancer villages and economic and environmental quality indicators identified as being relevant, and hence to highlight environmental issues that should be mitigated to protect public health. Since 2001, 25 cancer villages have been reported in Jiangsu. The distribution pattern of these villages is of a cluster whose mean centre had moved from Suzhou city in 2001 to Taizhou in 2006 and 2011. By applying the buffer analysis tool of ArcGIS10.2.2 using 3-km and 5-km radius buffer, to examine the relationship between these cancer villages and the surrounding rivers, it was revealed that 76% of the villages fall within the 3-km buffer zone, and 88% are within the 5-km buffer zone. A fairly strong correlation between the cancer villages and annual GDP, as well as pollutant discharge, was found, with correlation coefficients of 0.94 for Jiangsu, 0.89 for Northern Jiangsu, 0.93 for Central Jiangsu, 0.83 for Southern Jiangsu and 0.64 for city level. The change of newly added cancer villages is significantly influenced by the discharge of sewage water (raising COD) and SO, and the peak of newly added cancer villages, as well as discharge of COD and SO all occurred in 2005. For four cities, the total sewage water discharge and SO emissions are consistent with the order of the distribution density of the villages. The phenomenon of cancer villages in China will gradually be resolved as the government takes effective measures to tackle environmental issues coupled with people's increasing environmental and health awareness.
中国的经济繁荣带来了许多环境和健康方面的挑战，包括所谓的“癌症村”。本研究首次从省级角度考察了江苏省癌症村的变化与被认为相关的经济和环境质量指标之间的相关性，从而突出了应该缓解以保护公众健康的环境问题。自 2001 年以来，江苏省已报告了 25 个癌症村。这些村庄的分布模式呈集群状，其中心均值从 2001 年的苏州市转移到了 2006 年和 2011 年的泰州市。通过应用 ArcGIS10.2.2 的缓冲区分析工具，以 3 公里和 5 公里半径缓冲区来研究这些癌症村与周围河流的关系，结果表明 76%的村庄位于 3 公里缓冲区范围内，88%位于 5 公里缓冲区范围内。癌症村与年度 GDP 以及污染物排放量之间存在相当强的相关性，江苏省、苏北、苏中、苏南和城市级别的相关系数分别为 0.94、0.89、0.93、0.83 和 0.64。新增加的癌症村的变化受污水（提高 COD）和 SO 排放的显著影响，新增加的癌症村的高峰期以及 COD 和 SO 的排放量均出现在 2005 年。对于四个城市，污水总排放量和 SO 排放量与村庄分布密度的顺序一致。随着政府采取有效措施解决环境问题以及人们日益提高的环境和健康意识，中国的癌症村现象将逐渐得到解决。
