KU News Release

Report shows no cancer concern in Wescoe Hall; KU to replace ventilation system

LAWRENCE — A yearlong epidemiological investigation has found no increased incidence of brain tumors among occupants of Wescoe Hall on the University of Kansas campus and that the close proximity of the offices of people who had tumors was coincidental and unrelated to the building’s air or water quality.

KU initiated the investigation, led by nationally known epidemiologist John Neuberger, in response to an employee’s concern that in the past decade five people with offices in the building reportedly have been diagnosed with brain tumors, three of them benign. Approximately 600 people have offices in the 203,000-square-foot building during an academic year.

The report found no increased incidence of cancer or brain tumors among building occupants.

“While the cause of the brain tumors in Wescoe Hall is unknown, we conclude that the proximity of these tumors are likely due to chance, and are unrelated to occupancy in that building,” the report stated.

Moreover, the investigation found that there were fewer cases of cancer among Wescoe staff than would be expected. The epidemiological analysis focused on people who worked in Wescoe Hall, a 34-year-old, four-story humanities classroom and office building, from 1995 through 2006.

Neuberger also completed a comprehensive environmental indoor air quality investigation that concluded the building is environmentally safe. The inquiry did find problems with airflow in many offices but noted that “brain tumors have not been found to be related
to airflow problems.”

Following Neuberger’s recommendations that the university focus on correcting airflow problems as soon as possible, KU has announced it has begun a $3 million, two-year project to replace the air-handling systems on Wescoe’s first three floors. The work to replace air-handling systems has begun on the first floor and will continue in 2008 and 2009
on the second and third floors. Some staff members will have to vacate their offices for several months as the work progresses.

Though a few offices sampled in spring 2006 showed formaldehyde levels slightly above National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health guidelines, no offices exceeded U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration or EPA standards. Repeat testing in fall 2006 showed formaldehyde levels had fallen below the NIOSH guidelines.

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