Mortality among residents near cokeworks in

Objectives?To investigate whether resi dents near cokeworks have a higher stand ardised mortality than those further away, particularly from cardiovascular and res piratory causes, which may be associated with pollution from cokeworks. Method?Cross sectional small area study with routinely collected postcoded mor tality data and small area census statis tics. Populations within 7.5 km of 22 cokeworks in Great Britain, 1981-92. Ex pected numbers of deaths within 2 and 7.5 km of cokeworks, and in eight distance bands up to 7.5 km of cokeworks, were cal culated by indirect standardisation from national rates stratified for age and sex and a small area deprivation index, and adjusted for region. Age groups examined were all ages, 1-14,15-64, 65-74, ^75. Only the 1-14 and 15-44 age groups were exam ined for asthma mortality. Results?There was a 3% (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1% to 4%) excess of all deaths within 2 km of cokeworks, and a significant decline in mortality with dis tance from cokeworks. The excess of deaths within 2 km was slightly higher for females and elderly people, but excesses within 2 km and declines in risk with distance were significant for all adult age groups and both sexes. The size of the excess within 2 km was 5% (95%CI 3% to 7%) for cardiovascular causes, 6% (95%CI 3% to 9%) for ischaemic heart disease, and 2% (95% CI -2% to 6%) for respiratory deaths, with significant declines in risk with distance for all these causes. There was a non-significant 15% (95%CI -1% to 101%) excess in asthma mortality in the 15-44 age group. There were no significant excesses in mortality among children but 95% CIs were wide. Within 2 km of cokeworks, the estimated additional ex cess all cause mortality for all ages combined related to region and mainly to the greater deprivation of the population over national levels was 12%.