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A result of an 18-month study for the first time says children living near the Houston Ship Channel have a higher risk of cancer.

KHOU - TV

The scientific evidence surfaced after years of speculation by the City of Houston.

“Our preliminary analysis of air quality in Harris County suggests an association between hazardous air pollutants and childhood cancer,” said Kristina Walker, a researcher.

The City of Houston and UT School of Public Health researchers released the data.

Researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center of Houston looked at sensor data and cancer rates and found that children living within two miles of the ship channel have a 56 percent greater chance of being diagnosed with acute lymphocemic leukemia, a form of cancer.

"Childhood leukemia is a rare disease and to our knowledge, there are few known risk factors," Walker said.

They’re not saying that the chemicals released here are causing that cancer spike, but they do know that two of those chemicals in particular, 1,3 butadiene and Benzene and cause cancer in humans.

They did find an association between increased emissions of 1.3 butadiene and benzyne. Benzyne comes from the plants and car exhaust. Butadiene only comes from petrochemical, rubber and plastics plants.

Christian Cooley grew up living along the Ship Channel. She said she always worried about the chemicals being released just blocks away from her home. “Clean it up," she said.

The city said there has been a reduction of butdiene over the last two years, but that doesn't put a lot of residents at ease.

Mayor White said he will use the study as a catalyst for change.