STL Baby teeth study from 1960s links radiation and cancers in adults to Coldwater Creek

On Wednesday a new study by Harvard researchers unveiled new evidence that people who lived near Coldwater Creek as children have a higher than normal risk of developing cancer later in life. Researchers used donated baby teeth from 4,209 participants of the St. Louis Baby Tooth Survey (1958-1970) to assess exposure — and scientists, using the results of self-reported cancer diagnoses, found that incidences of cancer increased in people who lived closer to the creek. The study’s lead author, Marc Weisskopf, from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, joins Elaine Cha and STLPR health reporter Sarah Fentem to discuss the new findings, and what they tell us about St. Louis’ nuclear past, present and future.