Ecological study of morbidity in the Lacq industrial area (Pyrénées-Atlantiques). 2010–2023
For the past sixty years, the industrial complex in Lacq (Pyrénées-Atlantiques) has been home to a wide range of chemical and petrochemical activities. In response to a request in October 2015 from the Ministry of Health regarding the need for epidemiological surveillance and an assessment of the site’s health impact on nearby residents, Santé publique France launched several studies: a local context study, two ecological studies on mortality and morbidity, and a participatory health study. The local context and mortality studies were published in 2019 and 2021. The ecological morbidity study resulted in a first phase focusing on its feasibility and the identification of health indicators to be studied (published in 2021). The second phase focuses on the actual implementation of the morbidity study, which is the subject of this report. The objective of this study is to assess the incidence or prevalence of conditions potentially associated with industrial exposures among residents living near the Lacq industrial basin. Respiratory conditions (asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), cardiovascular and cerebrovascular conditions (adults), treated diabetes, thyroid disorders, perinatal morbidity, and autism spectrum disorders (children) were studied using indicators from the National Health Data System (hospitalizations, healthcare reimbursements, long-term conditions), and pediatric cancers were analyzed using data from national registries. The analysis covered 99 municipalities grouped into three zones according to a decreasing exposure gradient over the 2010–2023 period. Comparative morbidity indices (CMI) were calculated for each indicator, and their relationship with exposure zones was examined using an ecological spatial correlation analysis at the municipal level via Poisson regression adjusted for various potential confounding factors. Over the study period, no significant excess morbidity was observed for the various indicators studied in the most exposed zone of the Lacq industrial basin compared to the reference population. For indicators with a potential exposure gradient, the risk ratios between the different zones were not significant. Conversely, under-morbidity was observed for obstructive respiratory diseases, several cardiovascular diseases, and autism spectrum disorders. These generally reassuring results cover the past fifteen years, which have been characterized by reductions in pollutant emissions in the Lacq industrial basin. Nevertheless, these results may suffer from certain limitations associated with this type of ecological approach, which notably does not account for the individual characteristics of populations (data aggregated at the municipal level) and the use of indicators that may be linked to the local context of healthcare utilization and medical practices. These results should be compared with the findings of all epidemiological and environmental studies conducted locally, as well as with those of national studies conducted around industrial areas.
Author(s): Castor Christine, Chatignoux Édouard, Roudier Candice, Coquet Sandrine, Serra Delphine
Publishing year: 2026
Pages: 55 p.
Collection: Studies and Surveys
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