Relative importance of radioactivities and chemical carcinogens in the use of coal

Brief epidemiological studies are made to compare radioactivities and chemical carcinogens released from coal burning. Death rates from various cancers are plotted against the per capita consumption of coal. A significant correlation exists for males between the lung cancer death rate and the use of coal. A weak correlation is found for breast, colon and rectum cancers. However these last correlations may be spurious. Most radioactivities contained in coal are bone seekers and are expected to give rise to leukemia. However, no correlation is found. The analysis indicates that chemicals are more important than radioactivities. It is noted that the rate of chromosome aberration is higher among workers in coal mines and coal-fired power plants