Acute and chronic liver toxicity resulting from exposure to chlorinated naphthalenes at a cable manufacturing plant during World War II

Details

• Personal Author:
  Fessler-Flesch CA ; Ruder, Avima M. ; Smith AB ; Suruda, Anthony J. ; Ward, Elizabeth M. ; Zahm SH
• Description:
  The nonmalignant effects of chronic chlorinated naphthalene exposure were examined in workers who had been employed at a cable factory during World War II. Cases of chloracne and liver disease were identified using employee medical records. Death certificates were obtained and mortality rates, relative to the United States and Westchester county, were determined. Of the 9,028 workers studied, 460 had been diagnosed with chloracne. Of these 460 workers, 59.6% were deceased, whereas 50.3% of the total cohort were deceased. Acute yellow atrophy of the liver caused eight deaths among the workers; all were male and three had chloracne. Ten additional employees were diagnosed with liver dysfunction. The standardized mortality ratio (SMR) for cirrhosis of the liver in the total cohort, 1.84, was significantly higher than that of the chloracne subcohort, 1.51. The SMR for cirrhosis among white males, 2.06, was significantly higher than that among white females, 1.22. A small but statistically significant increase in ischemic heart disease was also observed in this cohort, with an SMR of 1.07. The authors conclude that the excessive number of deaths caused by cirrhosis of the liver is attributable to the chronic effects of chlorinated naphthalene exposure. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Dermatitis Digestive System Digestive System Diseases Hazardous Substances Hydrocarbons Liver Manufacturing And Industrial Facilities Mortality Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Safety Skin Skin Diseases

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• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Chlorinated Naphthalenes Chemical-industry-workers Chloracne Chlorinated-hydrocarbons Chronic-exposure Cirrhosis Cohort Mortality Study Epidemiology Humans Liver-damage Liver-disorders Mortality-rates NIOSH-Author Occupational-dermatitis Occupational-exposure Occupational Health Toxic-effects

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• ISSN:
  0271-3586
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  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
• Pages in Document:
  225-233
• Volume:
  30
• Issue:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00233639
• Citation:
  Am J Ind Med 1996 Aug; 30(2):225-233
• Contact Point Address:
  Dr. Elizabeth M. Ward, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 4676 Columbia Parkway, R-13, Cincinnati, OH 45226
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1996
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  American Journal of Industrial Medicine
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:a113bcc1d75f90a67c3cbf4dc3a8a1dd61db65c55241c81dbe580578a73d2f2f405da5c420a237192eaadfd93050b5c448e88808aa0760698e3eeeda83cc8744
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/204070/cdc_204070_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 742.08 KB ]