One unfortunate coincidence, followed by a Facebook post, led to a fascinating finding involving a US high school where nearly 100 former students had been diagnosed with various types of cancer.

Nearly 100 students at a single New Jersey high school have been diagnosed with rare kinds of brain cancer. The cause has yet to be identified, but some researchers believe environmental variables are to blame.

Environmental scientist Al Lupiano told NJ.com that he is one of 94 graduates or workers of Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey, who have developed cancerous and non-cancerous brain tumors, including the most severe form known as glioblastoma, which is nearly usually deadly.

Lupiano was diagnosed with a brain tumor 20 years ago and has healed since then. When his wife and sister, who both went to the same school, acquired brain tumors, he started looking into it. Following his sister’s death, he posted on Facebook asking if any other former Colonia students or teachers had experienced similar health difficulties. He was taken aback by the answer. Within weeks, he had over 100 names of patients who indicated they had had brain tumors and/or were now being treated for them.

The majority of these people claim to have graduated between 1975 and 2000, however others claim to have graduated as late as 2014. Since the probe is still in its early stages, no one knows why so many students at this institution acquired brain tumors. The mayor of the town has requested that the New Jersey Departments of Health and Environmental Protection, as well as the federal Department for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, a public health agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services, investigate the problem.

Glioblastoma’s causes are mainly unknown. Although genetics is thought to play a role, some studies have linked it to chemical exposure such as pesticides, petroleum, synthetic rubber, and vinyl chloride. Radiation, according to Lupiano, may potentially be a problem worth focusing on.

“What worries me is that there really is only one environmental connection to primary brain tumors and that’s ionizing radiation. It’s not polluted water. It’s not air. It’s not something in the soil. It’s not something that happened to us because of bad habits,” Lupiano told CBS News.

“This is only the tip of the iceberg. This is only one of many, many tests that can be performed. Frequently, in hazmat, you never find it in the first shot.”

It’s unclear why this particular high school, which was built in the 1960s, appears to be linked to so many complaints of brain tumors.

“It was virgin land, a forest. The school was the first thing that was there, so there was probably nothing in the land at that time. The only thing that could have happened, potentially, was a filler brought in during construction. We have no records from 55 years ago,” said Woodbridge Mayor John McCormick.

According to the petition’s authors, local officials purportedly told parents that “at this time, there is no discernable health or wellness threat to students, staff, or visitors at Colonia High School.

“The agencies acknowledged their concerns regarding the potential cancer cluster, but are not conducting any testing aside from radiation and radon that the Township undertook, even though the school remains open. Because the school remains open, we demand greater urgency to find out if potentially harmful substances are harming our children and staff at Colonia High School.”

Image Credit: NBC New York

You were reading: High School Horror: Every inch being tested to find out what triggered 100+ brain tumors