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. 2024 May-Jun;38(3):1659-1665.
doi: 10.1111/jvim.17021. Epub 2024 Mar 4.

Environmental radon, fracking wells, and lymphoma in dogs

Ashleigh N Tindle  1 , Samantha L Braman  1 , Brenna M Swafford  2 , Lauren A Trepanier  1
Affiliations

Environmental radon, fracking wells, and lymphoma in dogs

Ashleigh N Tindle et al. J Vet Intern Med. 2024 May-Jun.

Abstract

Background: Multicentric lymphoma (ML) in dogs resembles non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in humans. Human NHL is associated with multiple environmental exposures, including to radon and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Hypothesis/objectives: The objective of this study was to determine whether ML in dogs was associated with environmental radon or proximity to horizontal oil and drilling (fracking), a source of VOC pollution.

Methods: We identified dogs from the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study that developed ML (n = 52) along with matched controls (n = 104). Dog home addresses were categorized by Environmental Protection Agency radon zone and average residential radon by county, as well as by distance from fracking and associated wastewater wells.

Results: We found no significant differences in county level radon measurements. Individual household radon measurements were not available. There was no difference in residential proximity to active fracking wells between dogs with ML and unaffected dogs. While dogs with ML lived closer to wastewater wells (123 vs 206 km; P = .01), there was no difference in the percentage of cases vs controls that lived in close proximity (20 km) to a fracking well (11.5% for cases, 6.7% for controls; OR 1.81, 95% CI 0.55 to 5.22; P = .36), or a wastewater well (6.7% for cases, 4.4% for controls; P > .99).

Conclusions and clinical importance: These data suggest that more proximate sources of chemical exposures need to be assessed in dogs with ML, including measurements of individual household radon and household VOC concentrations.

Keywords: class II injection wells; fracking; horizontal drilling; multicentric lymphoma; non‐Hodgkin lymphoma; volatile organic compounds; wastewater.

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Conflict of interest statement

Lauren A. Trepanier serves as Associate Editor for the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine. She was not involved in review of this manuscript. Lauren A. Trepanier is on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Morris Animal Foundation but has no direct involvement in the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study. No other authors declare a conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Chloropleth maps showing geographic distribution of golden retrievers (GRs) with lymphoma (A) and matched unaffected controls (B) recruited through the longitudinal Golden Retriever Lifetime Study. Color intensity increases with a higher percentage of each segment of the study groups from each state.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Percentage of tested homes with radon levels >4pCi/L (EPA action threshold) by county of residence for golden retriever (GR) dogs with multicentric lymphoma compared to unaffected controls. Scatter plots throughout show each dog as an individual data point, with medians indicated by horizontal bars.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Distance (in km) to the nearest hydraulic fracturing (fracking) oil and gas wells for golden retriever (GR) dogs with multicentric lymphoma compared to unaffected controls.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Distance (in km) to the nearest wastewater wells from hydraulic fracturing for golden retriever (GR) dogs with multicentric lymphoma compared to unaffected controls. Golden retrievers with lymphoma lived significantly closer to wastewater wells than did matched unaffected dogs (P = .01); however, there was no difference in the percentages of cases vs controls living within close proximity (20 km) of a wastewater well (3 out of 45 cases, vs 2 out of 45 controls; P > .99).
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