More Come Forward With Concerns Over 'Cancer Cluster' In Colonia

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — In total, six current or former cafeteria workers at Colonia High School have been diagnosed with cancer or brain tumors. A Colonia High School junior is currently battling a brain tumor, and a 39-year-old who graduated from Colonia High died from brain cancer Feb. 7.

That's according to a new report by NJ.com, which details additional information that has come to light about a possible cancer cluster in Colonia, particularly linked to the high school.

The issue dates back to 2022, when Al Lupiano, a man who grew up in Woodbridge and went on to become an environmental scientist, starting investigating what he says is an unusually high number of brain cancers and brain tumors in Colonia High School graduates.

At the time, Lupiano said he located approximately 122 cases of people with cancer or brain tumors who either worked at or attended Colonia High School from 1975-1999. Lupiano and his wife both attended Colonia High School and now both have rare brain tumors.

Lupiano published all of his research on his personal Facebook page.

That prompted Woodbridge Township to test for radon and radiation at Colonia High School. In 2022, Woodbridge conducted both air and soil tests inside and outside of the high school, and found no signs of radon or radiation, said Mayor John McCormac.

However, since then polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and pesticides have been found in the air at Colonia High School, NJ.com also reported. That prompted Woodbridge Township to hire T&M Associates to do an environmental assessment of how high the levels of pesticides/PCBs are at Colonia High School, and in the surrounding area.

That environmental investigation is currently in progress. The results of that assessment will be sent to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Related: No Cancer-Causing Radiation Found At Colonia High School, School District Says (2022)