No connection between cancer cases and factory, Wuhan investigation finds

There was no connection between villagers' cancer cases and pollution from a nearby factory in Wuhan, Hubei province, according to a notice released on Friday by the joint investigation team into the "cancer village" case in Wuhan's Xinzhou district.

Environmental monitoring results showed that indicators of groundwater and soil around the Changsheng Water Glass Factory all met national standards. Only the water body in the rainwater ditch on the south side of the factory had excessive alkalinity, and the chemical oxygen demand of the adjacent pond exceeded the limit. Soil indicators of all agricultural land were up to standard.

As for online claims that raw materials at the factory contained radioactive substances and triggered leukemia, tests verified that the radioactivity of relevant substances was consistent with the local natural background level, with no artificial radionuclides detected, according to the notice.

Staff members from the team carried out epidemiological health surveys among all local villagers. The result showed that 65 people had been diagnosed with cancer and leukemia since 1986. The annual average cancer incidence rate there was lower than the average of both Wuhan and the country, meaning the village is not a high-incidence cancer area.

"Comprehensive analysis covering case distribution, onset time, and disease types confirmed there was no correlation between villagers' cancer and pollutants discharged by the enterprise," it said.

However, the factory had illegal and irregular problems.

For example, since launching operations in 1986, the enterprise refused to rectify issues beyond the time limit without obtaining a pollutant discharge permit. Even after being ordered to suspend production, it secretly carried out production. Between 2019 and 2023, it engaged in illegal dumping and landfilling of industrial solid waste, and it was previously fined 200,000 yuan ($29,500) over improper disposal of solid waste.

In addition, the investigation team found regulation loopholes in multiple departments, allowing the enterprise's illegal acts to persist unresolved for a long time.

Now the factory has been shut down, while ecological restoration of the area is underway. Evidence of the enterprise's violations has been transferred to judicial organs. Multiple public officials have been held accountable, the notice showed.

Tailored treatment plans have been arranged for sick villagers, while free medical consultations and physical examinations have been organized.

Wuhan authorities stated that a city-wide inspection and rectification campaign targeting ecological and environmental issues will be launched to tighten regulatory accountability and respond promptly to public concerns.

Xinhua contributed to this story.