Latest news with #MarcWeisskopf
New York Post
23-07-2025
- Health
- New York Post
Higher cancer rates linked to WWII waste in Midwestern creek
A Missouri creek has allegedly led to a higher risk of cancer in neighboring residents. Coldwater Creek, a Missouri River tributary north of St. Louis, has been a known radioactive waste site since the 1980s. Researchers have now confirmed that exposure to the creek, which is said to be polluted with nuclear waste from the development of the first atomic bomb, has led to an increased incidence of cancer for people who were children in the area between the 1940s and 1960s. A study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, which was published in JAMA Network, analyzed the data of 4,209 participants who lived near Coldwater Creek. The data was originally gathered for a previous study on childhood radiation exposure. Participants who lived in the Greater St. Louis area between 1958 and 1972 shared their cancer diagnoses, which allowed researchers to calculate risk based on their proximity to the creek. 4 Researchers have now confirmed that exposure to the Coldwater Creek has led to an increased incidence of cancer for children in the area between the 1940s and 1960s, due to nuclear waste. AP The researchers found an elevated risk of cancer in a long-term follow-up, with those who lived closest to the creek reporting a higher incidence of most cancers. 'The waste from these entities could have huge impacts on people's health, even at lower levels of exposure.' In total, 24% of study participants reported having cancer. Of those, 30% lived less than one kilometer away from the creek, 28% lived between one and five kilometers away, 25% lived between five and 20 kilometers away, and 24% lived more than 20 kilometers away. 4 Susie Gaffney poses for a photo along Coldwater Creek near where she used to live Friday, April 7, 2023. AP 4 24% of study participants reported having cancer, and 30% of that percentage lived less than one kilometer away from the creek. REUTERS Corresponding author Marc Weisskopf, professor of environmental epidemiology and physiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, commented on these findings in a press release. 'Our research indicates that the communities around North St. Louis appear to have had excess cancer from exposure to the contaminated Coldwater Creek,' he said. 'These findings may have broader implications — as countries think about increasing nuclear power and developing more nuclear weapons, the waste from these entities could have huge impacts on people's health, even at these lower levels of exposure.' This study accompanies Congress' passing of an expanded version of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA), as part of President Trump's Big Beautiful Bill. The act will allow Americans, including Coldwater Creek residents, to receive compensation for medical bills associated with radiation exposure, the researchers noted. 4 This study accompanies Congress' passing of an expanded version of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, which would allow Americans to receive compensation for medical bills associated with radiation exposure. AP Local agencies have become increasingly concerned about cancer prevalence in the area, prompting the push for further research beyond the U.S. government's acknowledgment of the pollution four decades ago. The contamination originally occurred due to the Manhattan Project and Mallinckrodt Chemical Works, which processed and refined uranium in St. Louis, according to the study. The radioactive material was moved out of the major U.S. city and into the more rural area near Coldwater Creek, where it was stored in uncovered drums on the ground and exposed to the elements, allowing contaminants to leach into the nearby creek. The researchers noted that communities downstream from Coldwater Creek had potentially been exposed to the ionizing radiation during recreational activities, such as playing in the creek, and residential activities, like breathing in dust suspended from the soil when gardening. The study did have some limitations, the researchers acknowledged, including its small sample size and reliance on self-reported cancer outcomes. The potential carcinogenic impact of creek exposure warrants further research to confirm the findings, the team concluded. Co-author Michael Leung, PhD, post-doctoral research fellow at Harvard's Department of Environmental Health, reflected on the findings in an interview with Fox News Digital. 'Our study found that children in the 1940s to 1960s who lived near Coldwater Creek, which was contaminated by radioactive waste from the development of the first atomic bomb, had a 44% higher risk of cancer compared to those living further than 20 kilometers away,' he confirmed. 'Our findings coincide with Congress passing an expanded version of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, and gives further credence to the health concerns of St. Louis area-residents about the contaminated creek,' Leung went on. 'We hope these findings will support public health measures for affected communities, as well as ongoing efforts to remediate the creek.'
Daily Mail
23-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Families devastated as neighborhood cancer surge is traced to radioactive waste from first atomic bomb
A chilling new study has confirmed the fears of generations - that children who grew up near a Missouri creek polluted by nuclear waste from the first atomic bomb project are suffering from elevated rates of cancer rates. The findings have been published this week in JAMA Network Open by researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and provide the clearest evidence to date linking radioactive contamination in Coldwater Creek, a tributary of the Missouri River north of St. Louis, to long-term cancer risks in nearby residents. 'Our research indicates that the communities around North St. Louis appear to have had excess cancer from exposure to the contaminated Coldwater Creek,' said Marc Weisskopf, professor of environmental epidemiology and physiology at Harvard and corresponding author of the study. Weisskopf's team found that individuals who lived within one kilometer of the creek as children between the 1940s and 1960s were significantly more likely to develop cancer later in life. They believe the cancer is a result of ionizing radiation exposure from the creekbed, soil, and water. The source of the contamination dates back to one of the darkest and most secretive chapters in US history: the Manhattan Project, the clandestine federal initiative that developed the world's first nuclear weapons. Mallinckrodt Chemical Works, operating in downtown St. Louis, was responsible for processing uranium used in the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. But after the war, barrels of radioactive waste were moved to open-air storage sites near Coldwater Creek, where they remained for years, exposed to rain, wind, and runoff. Those toxins, including uranium and thorium, leached into the soil and water, contaminating the surrounding environment and putting thousands at risk, especially children, who played in the creek, dug in the dirt, and breathed in radioactive dust kicked up during gardening or construction. Now, decades later, the health toll is becoming undeniable. The Harvard study, based on a cohort of 4,209 individuals who lived in the Greater St. Louis area between 1958 and 1972, found that 24% reported having cancer. Among those living closest to the creek, that number rose to 30%. 'Our study found that children in the 1940s to 1960s who lived near Coldwater Creek… had a 44% higher risk of cancer compared to those living further than 20 kilometers away,' said co-author Michael Leung, a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard's Department of Environmental Health, to Fox News. The types of cancer reported include leukemia, thyroid, breast, and colon cancers are consistent with illnesses linked to radiation exposure. For many in North St. Louis County, the revelation is both vindicating and heartbreaking. Families who grew up splashing in Coldwater Creek or building homes nearby have lost loved ones to aggressive cancers - often with no explanation, until now. The Harvard study suggests those deaths were not random but the byproduct of wartime secrecy, industrial negligence, and decades of environmental inaction. While the researchers acknowledged limitations in their study, including its sample size and reliance on self-reported outcomes, the statistical signal is clear enough to prompt renewed concern and action. The study comes at a pivotal moment. Last month, Congress passed an expanded version of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) as part of President Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill,' offering financial relief for Americans harmed by nuclear testing and contamination - including, for the first time, residents near Coldwater Creek. 'These findings may have broader implications - as countries think about increasing nuclear power and developing more nuclear weapons,' Weisskopf warned. 'The waste from these entities could have huge impacts on people's health, even at these lower levels of exposure.' Local families, activists, and health officials have long urged the government to take the cancer clusters seriously. In July 2023, an investigation published by The Associated Press, The Missouri Independent and MuckRock showed that the federal government and companies responsible for nuclear bomb production and atomic waste storage sites in the St. Louis area were aware of health risks, spills, improperly stored contaminants and other problems but often ignored them. The federal government formally acknowledged the contamination at Coldwater Creek in the 1980s, but efforts to clean up the area have been slow and piecemeal. Now, armed with hard scientific evidence, those affected are hoping for accountability. 'We hope these findings will support public health measures for affected communities, as well as ongoing efforts to remediate the creek,' Leung said. While nuclear workers had direct exposure, people who live near contamination sites worry about uncertainty. Many who grew up in the area weren't told about the risks for decades. In 2007, Chapman and Karen Nickel were so concerned about cancer and other unusual illnesses in their St. Louis County neighborhoods that they formed Just Moms STL. In 2019, the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry issued a report that found people who regularly played in Coldwater Creek as children from the 1960s to the 1990s may have a slight increased risk of bone cancer, lung cancer and leukemia. The agency determined that those exposed daily to the creek starting in the 2000s, when cleanup began, could have a small increased risk of lung cancer. The government's sloppy handling of nuclear contamination over decades has understandably made people doubt official promises that conditions are safe now, said Arjun Makhijani, a nuclear expert and president of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research. 'There is zero trust,' he said. People in the St. Louis area are concerned that more illnesses are caused by the contamination and some are pushing for legislation to compensate those who are sick. Others have sued those responsible for the waste. Several people with serious illnesses, or whose loved ones are sick, met recently at Nickel's house. Jim Gaffney, now in his 60s, grew up in the 1960s playing in Coldwater Creek - his childhood home backed up to the waterway. 'I was always in the creek,' Gaffney said. 'Told not to, but we had seven kids. Mom couldn't watch us all. We just thought it was fun. We built mudslides and everything. I'm sure I got exposed.' He and his wife, Susie, loved the neighborhood so much that when they got married, they moved into a home there. Their children grew up playing in a park that backs to the creek, Susie Gaffney said. 'We had no warnings. We had no fears,' she said. Jim Gaffney was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma in 1981 and given little chance to survive. A bone-marrow transplant saved his life, but the toll of the radiation, chemotherapy and the disease has been enormous. 'Now I've got hypertension, heart failure, I've had at least five bladder tumors removed since ´95. I'm still here, but it's not been easy,' he said. The Gaffneys' son Joe has battled thyroid cancer since 1998 when he was 18. Tricia Byrnes swam in Weldon Spring quarries as a teenager. Eight years ago, her 15-year-old son was diagnosed with a rare cancer of the thymus, a small organ near the heart. She wonders about a connection. Byrnes she became so frustrated with the lack of acknowledgement about the health risk at Weldon Spring that she successfully ran as a Republican for the Missouri House, where she is pushing for federal compensation for those who believe their illnesses are connected to contamination. She said it's infuriating that the federal government not only allowed the contamination that made people sick, but didn't do enough to contain it. 'What the hell is wrong with people?' she asked.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Radioactive Waste Exposed Children in Missouri to Cancer Risks, Study Finds
Nuclear waste left over from US efforts to develop an atomic bomb from the 1940s and onwards put children living near St Louis, Missouri at a significantly elevated risk of cancer throughout the rest of their lives, a new study suggests. As part of the top-secret scheme known as the Manhattan Project, radioactive waste from uranium refinement in St Louis was stored in drums or even left out in the open in a rural area north of the city, close to a tributary called Coldwater Creek. That dangerous practice was only acknowledged in the late 1980s. In the new study, a research team led by scientists from Harvard University looked at the health records of people who had lived close to Coldwater Creek as kids. Related: "Our research indicates that the communities around North St Louis appear to have had excess cancer from exposure to the contaminated Coldwater Creek," says environmental epidemiologist Marc Weisskopf from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. The researchers looked at data on 4,209 individuals who spent their childhood in and around Coldwater Creek, putting them into groups based on how close they lived to the creek. This was referenced against cases of cancer in the participants, now aged 55-77. Overall, 24 percent or 1,009 of the participants reported having had cancer at some point. Of that subgroup, 30 percent lived less than one kilometer away from the creek. To put it another way, living within a kilometer (nearly two thirds of a mile) of Coldwater Creek was linked to a 44 percent increase in the risk of developing cancer. Considering anyone who had already died of cancer couldn't be included in the study, the association might be even stronger. While the data can't prove direct cause and effect, that the cancer risk was elevated nearer to the exposure site than at further distances strongly suggests the radioactive contamination from the creek negatively impacted the health of local residents. "As we continue to recruit more participants… and continue follow-up of existing participants, we may soon be able to improve the precision of our estimates, as well as explore factors that could drive effect heterogeneity," write the researchers in their published paper. The US Congress has just passed an expanded version of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) – through which citizens affected by radioactive fallout can claim compensation from the government – and Coldwater Creek is covered under the protections. Previous investigations concluding that there was no link between cancer cases and Coldwater Creek were flawed, the researchers say. The key data in these earlier studies was based on modern-day residents, for example, not those who lived in the area as children. The team behind the study not only wants to hold the US government accountable for the health risks caused in the past, but also to encourage greater caution in the future development of nuclear projects. "These findings may have broader implications – as countries think about increasing nuclear power and developing more nuclear weapons, the waste from these entities could have huge impacts on people's health, even at these lower levels of exposure," says Weisskopf. The research has been published in JAMA Network Open. Related News A Single Brain Scan Halfway Through Your Life Can Reveal How Fast You're Aging Surgeons Resuscitate 'Dead' Heart in Life-Saving Organ Transplant to Baby Huge Study Reveals 2 Vaccines That Appear to Reduce Dementia Risk Solve the daily Crossword
Time of India
22-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Coldwater creek and cancer risk explained by Harvard experts: Why this small stream in the US linked to cancer
Image: Istock Coldwater Creek, a stream winding through north St. Louis County, Missouri, is getting global attention. Turns out, this peaceful-looking waterway has a dark past. Due to radioactive waste dumped nearby during the World War II Manhattan Project (the one that made atomic bombs), the creek has been quietly soaking up toxic leftovers for decades. So what went wrong? Back in the 1940s, uranium waste from bomb-making was poorly stored around Lambert Airport. Over time, it made its way into Coldwater Creek—through runoff, careless dumping, and just plain neglect. That waste included stuff like thorium-230, a radioactive byproduct that sticks around forever. For most of the 20th century, the problem was ignored. Only in the 1990s did the US Army Corps of Engineers start cleaning things up, and it might not be fully done until 2038 (yes, seriously). What does Harvard say? A major Harvard study just dropped in JAMA Network Open (July 2025), and it's not good news. Researchers followed over 4,000 folks from the St. Louis Baby Tooth study—kids from the 1950s–70s who lived nearby and donated teeth to test for nuclear fallout. By linking those records to self-reported health issues, the study found that kids who grew up within 1 km of Coldwater Creek were 44% more likely to develop any kind of cancer later in life. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo But that's just the beginning. The odds shot up even more for radiosensitive cancers—think thyroid cancer, leukemia, breast cancer, and bone cancer. For thyroid cancer alone, the risk was 5 times higher in people who lived closest to the creek as kids. Participants who lived within 1 kilometer of Coldwater Creek during childhood showed a 44% higher odds (OR = 1.44; 95% CI, 0.96–2.14) of developing any form of cancer compared to those living more than 20 kilometers away, though this result bordered on statistical significance. The association was stronger for radiosensitive cancers—those linked scientifically to radiation exposure with an odds ratio of 1.85 (95% CI, 1.21–2.81) for those living closest to the creek versus the furthest. For thyroid cancer, the risk was particularly elevated (OR = 5.00; 95% CI, 1.23–20.32) Harvard epidemiologists, led by Prof. Marc Weisskopf, emphasized the broader implications of exposure to low-level radioactive waste from nuclear projects, warning that similar risks could emerge as nuclear power and weapons programs expand worldwide What cancers are we talking about? Thyroid cancer Leukemia Brain tumors Bone cancer Lung cancer Even federal agencies like the US Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry are backing this up. They say anyone who lived or played near the creek from the 1960s to the 1990s could face higher cancer risks. The takeaway? The closer you lived to Coldwater Creek—and the longer you were there—the higher your chances of developing cancer. It's a textbook case of radiation exposure risks, and experts are warning this isn't just Missouri's problem.
Telegraph
19-07-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Why Starmer's nuclear power push raises cancer fears
In 1942, the Mallinckrodt Chemical Works, which was processing uranium for the first atomic bomb, ran out of space for its radioactive waste and moved it to an open air storage site near Coldwater Creek, north of St Louis. More than 80 years later, Harvard University has shown that communities living near the Creek, a tributary of the Missouri River, had an elevated risk of cancer. The findings, released this week, showed a dose-response effect, with those living nearest to the water having a far higher chance of developing most cancers than those living farther away. Researchers say it highlights the dangers from exposure to even small amounts of radiation over time, and warn governments must be cautious when building new nuclear sites near towns and villages. 'Our research indicates that the communities around North St. Louis appear to have had excess cancer from exposure to the contaminated Coldwater Creek,' said Professor Marc Weisskopf, an expert in environmental epidemiology and physiology. 'These findings may have broader implications—as countries think about increasing nuclear power and developing more nuclear weapons, the waste from these entities could have huge impacts on people's health, even at these lower levels of exposure.' 'Golden age of clean energy' The warning comes at a time when the government is seeking to increase nuclear power in Britain, announcing £14.2 billion for a new nuclear plant at Sizewell in Suffolk, and £2.5 billion for a small nuclear reactor programme. Ed Miliband, the energy secretary said nuclear power was crucial 'to deliver a golden age of clean energy abundance.' But for decades there have been fears that the radiation from power stations can cause cancer, with some evidence showing clusters of leukaemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma near Sellafield in Cumbria, and Dounreay, on the north coast of Scotland. Nuclear plants have also been linked to increased cancer incidence in the US and Germany. The public was first alerted to the possibility that nuclear plants could be causing cancer when an ITV documentary in 1983 revealed a high number of childhood leukaemia cases between 1955 and 1983 in the village of Seascale, near Sellafield. While less than one case should have been expected in such a small community, researchers found seven youngsters suffering from the condition. Residents feared that radioactive discharges may be to blame and the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (Comare) was set up to investigate. Investigations by Comare did show that rates of two types of childhood leukaemia and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, were significantly higher than expected, and researchers found a similar cluster at Thurso near Dounreay. However researchers did not find raised rates in other villages near Sellafield and Dounreay leading them to think that something else was causing the rise, potentially local infections which are known to trigger cancer in some cases. The investigators theorised that an influx of workers moving to Seascale and Thurso to work in the nuclear industry may have exposed local residents to new infections, sparking a rise in childhood cancer rates. Viruses such as Epstein-Barr are thought to be linked to cancers such as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. This week, Imperial College and the University of Bristol published new research showing no increased risk for youngsters living within around 15 miles of a British nuclear plant. Researchers analysed cancer incidence data for nearly 50,000 cases of childhood leukaemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, central nervous system tumours, and other solid tumours in children aged 0 to 14 years between 1995 and 2016. They cross-referenced it against data for communities living near nuclear plants, including Sellafield and Dounreay but found no increase in cases compared to the national average. Dr Bethan Davies, from Imperial's School of Public Health, said: 'For many years there have been public concerns about the potential health impacts of living near nuclear installations. 'Our analysis suggests that children living near these sites today are not at increased risk. 'As the UK government announces a multibillion-pound investment for new nuclear energy infrastructure, our findings should provide reassurance that the historical clusters of childhood cancers reported near sites such as Sellafield and Dounreay are no longer evident.' But the Coldwater Creek case shows the danger that can come from supposedly safe radioactive storage facilities. In that case, wind, rain and flooding are thought to have allowed radioactive material to leach into groundwater. A clean up operation is ongoing which is not expected to be complete until 2038 and the US government has just expanded the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA), so that those affected can claim medical expenses. The UK Health Alliance on Climate Change also warns that there are health risks associated with living near and working in a nuclear plant, citing German research showing young children living within a few miles of a site are particularly vulnerable. 'Any proposed development of nuclear power as a source of energy must take into account potential risks to human health,' the alliance said in a position statement last month. Imperial College warned it was important to continue to monitor health data at nuclear plants, but said its latest findings should reassure communities living close to reactors. Professor Mireille Toledano, Mohn Chair in Population Child Health in Imperial's School of Public Health, said: 'These findings are both timely and important. As the UK and other countries expand their nuclear energy capacity, it's vital that public health remains a central consideration. 'It's reassuring that our study found that the historic case clusters have resolved, but it remains important we continue to monitor public health data around such sites across the UK for any emerging trends of concern.'
