Asbestos in drinking water and cancer incidence in the San Francisco Bay area.

Age-adjusted, sex- and race-specific 1969-1971 cancer incidence ratios for the 722 census tracts of the San Francisco-Oakland Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area were compared with measured chysotile asbestos counts in tract drinking waters. The water supplies serving the area have varying contact with naturally occurring serpentine. The t test for multiple regression coefficients and the t test for correlation coefficients showed significant (p less than 0.01) relationships between chrysotile asbestos content of tract drinking water and white male lung, white female gall bladder and pancreas, and peritoneal cancers in both sexes. Of weaker significance (0.01 less than or equal to 0.05) were female esophagus, pleura and kidney, as well as stomach cancers in both sexes. These associations appeared to be independent of income, education, asbestos occupation, marital status, country of origin and mobility.