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However, [University of Arizona pediatric research professor Mark L.] Witten said at least three of the leukemia children live in homes located in line with one of the aircraft runways off the Fort Huachuca Army base adjacent to Sierra Vista. For that reason, he suspects that exposure to noxious chemicals in jet fuel - which include benzene and kerosene - could be a factor.

"They have got to test soil samples, water samples, water wells, possibly even ambient air levels, to see if these chemicals are elevated where these people live," said Witten. He has studied the effects of jet fuel on animals and humans for 10 years and notes that damage to human tissue and organs begins at known levels of jet fuel exposure.

Witten said two other leukemia clusters under investigation - one in the San Diego area and the other in the small town of Fallon, Nev. - are near military bases with high-powered jet activity. He noted that Fallon - with more than 15 childhood leukemia cases in two years in a town much smaller than Sierra Vista - is the home of the U.S. Navy's "Top Gun" jet fighter training facility.

"I don't know if jet fuel is playing a role in these clusters or not, but epidemiologic studies have shown that the children of families that work in the hydrocarbon industries - auto mechanics, with petroleum products - have higher leukemia rates," he said.

"I would not be surprised to see a leukemia cluster within a mile radius of every major airport in the U.S., and I think we are just beginning to discover some of these. The main point is, this has to be investigated. The location of these clusters is forcing the question."

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