Nonmalignant disease mortality among styrene, fibreglass, and wood dust exposed workers in the reinforced plastic boatbuilding industry

Details

• Personal Author:
  Bertke S ; Meyers A ; Ruder A
• Description:
  Objectives: To further evaluate the association of styrene, fibreglass, and wood dust exposure with non-malignant diseases, we extended follow-up through 2008 for 5203 workers exposed to styrene, fibreglass, and wood dust between 1959 and 1978 at two boat building plants. Method: We used a person-years analysis program, LTAS.NET to compute standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) using Washington State and U.S. rates, standardised rate ratios (SRRs), and 95% confidence intervals. SMRs were stratified by exposure category (low or high) and duration of employment category (. 1 year, 1+ years). Results: Overall, 1206 nonmalignant deaths occurred (WA SMR 1.14, CI 1.08.1.21), with excess mortality for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) overall (n = 112, WA SMR 1.61, CI 1.32.1.93), and among 2063 workers highly exposed to styrene and fibreglass (n = 39, WA SMR 2.37, CI 1.69. 3.25). Results were similar using U.S. mortality rates. Workers employed for less than one year had statistically significant increased mortality from several lifestyle-related outcomes (alcoholism, ischaemic heart disease, cirrhosis, accidental poisoning and homicide). Conclusions: The excess COPD mortality in this cohort is difficult to interpret. Recent reports associate styrene/fibreglass reinforced plastic manufacturing with another respiratory disease - bronchiolitis obliterans. Based on a review of COPD death certificates, bronchiolitis obliterans does not appear to be a contributing factor for excess COPD mortality. The COPD excess in this study points to a need for an in-depth investigation of respiratory disease and occupational styrene exposure. Short term worker results are consistent with other occupational cohort studies. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Dust Glass Lung Men Morbidity Mortality Occupational Health Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety Ships Styrene Women Wood Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Boat-manufacturing-industry Diseases Exposure-levels Fiberglass-industry Humans Morbidity-rates Mortality-rates Pulmonary-function Pulmonary-system Pulmonary-system-disorders Respiration Respiratory-system-disorders Statistical-analysis Styrenes Wood-dusts Work-environment Workers

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• ISSN:
  1351-0711
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• Place as Subject:
  Illinois ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  71
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20044622
• Citation:
  Occup Environ Med 2014 Jun; 71(Suppl 1):A13
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2014
• NORA Priority Area:
  Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Challenges for Occupational Epidemiology in the 21st Century, EPICOH 2014, June 24-27, 2014, Chicago, Illinois
• Supplement:
  1
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:e55a69ff22d8d20eeca82cef0e97c37336ae03427cf0349ca1e3629cc2de7952701ee8d9c082a05c214c09a7f894517dcdf359044a078ca8673ffb1e6492b8f1
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/200288/cdc_200288_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 75.70 KB ]