Hypothetical interventions to limit metalworking fluid exposures and their effects on COPD mortality: G-estimation within a public health framework

Details

• Personal Author:
  Balmes J ; Chevrier J ; Eisen EA ; Picciotto S
• Description:
  BACKGROUND: Current recommendations for limits on metalworking fluids may provide insufficient protection from workplace-related illness. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a challenging outcome in occupational cohorts because its long period of worsening pulmonary function allows sicker workers to reduce exposure, causing a healthy worker survivor bias. G-estimation is a statistical method that reduces this bias. We introduce a public health approach using g-estimation to compare a series of potential exposure-reducing interventions. METHODS: Autoworkers at three General Motors plants in Michigan were followed for COPD mortality from 1 January 1941 to 31 December 1994. For each of the three fluid types (straight, soluble, synthetic), a series of binary variables indicated whether exposure exceeded a series of potential limits. Separate g-estimation analyses for each limit yielded results expressed as the total number of years of life that could have been saved among those who died from COPD had that exposure limit been enforced. RESULTS: Lower limits would have had greater effect than higher limits. A ban on soluble fluids (the most common type) would have had the greatest effect, saving an estimated 1550 years of life. Corresponding estimates were 737 and 260 years for straight and synthetic fluids, respectively. Few workers were exposed to synthetic fluids, limiting analytic power. CONCLUSIONS: This application of g-estimation suggests that limiting exposure to metalworking fluids could have saved many years of life lost to COPD in this cohort. The approach permits comparison of different interventions. Separate limits should be considered for different types of fluids. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aerosols Automobiles Lung Lung Diseases Metals Morbidity Mortality Occupational Health Particulate Matter Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Aerosol-particles Automotive-industry Exposure-levels Gases Metalworking-fluids Morbidity-rates Mortality-rates Particulates Pulmonary-disorders Pulmonary-function Pulmonary-system Pulmonary-system-disorders Respiratory-system-disorders Risk-factors Work-areas Work-environment Workers

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• ISSN:
  1044-3983
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  436-443
• Volume:
  25
• Issue:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20045310
• Citation:
  Epidemiology 2014 May; 25(3):436-443
• Contact Point Address:
  Sally Picciotto, University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health, EHS, 50 University Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720
• Email:
  sallypicciotto@berkeley.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2014
• Performing Organization:
  University of California, Berkeley
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20120701
• Source Full Name:
  Epidemiology
• End Date:
  20160630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:29a52f89505d1f411bae8a7deaeb00d03a305646e0c79911521554f322299799e1d4b0e6f50459fab221034c4d3fea55704e2e1495c86a11b81052c62280df91
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/200771/cdc_200771_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 804.42 KB ]