Mortality among workers exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls

Details

• Personal Author:
  Shults, Ruth A. ; Sinks T ; Smith AB ; Steele G ; Watkins K
• Description:
  Mortality rates among workers exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were investigated through a retrospective cohort study. The workers had been employed at a factory that manufactured electrical capacitors containing PCBs. The study cohort consisted of 2742 men and 846 women (total 3588) who had worked at the factory for at least 1 day between January 1957 and March 1977. Personnel records and data were obtained from the company's files. Vital status was determined through the Social Security Administration. A proportional hazards model was used to determine whether a dose response relationship existed between PCB exposure and mortality from malignant melanoma or brain cancer. Results showed that overall mortality was lower than expected (192 deaths, standardized mortality ratio (SMR) 0.7. This was also true for heart disease and accidents. The SMR for cancer was also lower than expected (54 deaths, SMR 0.8). The SMR for skin cancer was elevated (eight deaths, SMR 4.1). All skin cancer deaths were due to malignant melanoma. An increase in brain and nervous system cancer was also evident (five deaths, SMR 1.8). This excess mortality applied to both sexes. All eight melanoma deaths and five brain cancer deaths occurred 5 or more years after initial employment. The proportional hazards analysis showed that on average, brain cancer cases had more than twice the estimated cumulative PCB dose than the comparison group, and had worked in close proximity to the impregnation ovens. The authors conclude that an association between employment at this factory and malignant melanoma and brain cancer seems to be evident. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Electricity Epidemiology Mortality Neoplasms Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Polychlorinated Biphenyls Safety Skin Skin Diseases
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Brain Neoplasms Cancer-rates Electrical-workers Electricity Melanoma Mortality Mortality-data NIOSH-Author Occupational-exposure Occupational Diseases Polychlorinated-biphenyls Polychlorinated Biphenyls Skin-cancer

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• ISSN:
  0002-9262
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Georgia ; Indiana ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 5 ; Virginia
• 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:
  389-398
• Volume:
  136
• Issue:
  4
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00210535
• Citation:
  Am J Epidemiol 1992 Aug; 136(4):389-398
• Contact Point Address:
  Dr. Thomas Sinks at the Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, Center for Environmental Health and Injury Control, Centers for Disease Control, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MaSstop F46, Atlanta, GA 30333
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1992
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  American Journal of Epidemiology
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:e199b7342ceb5a912f7a784bd9c38b5ca26af3666caaf43622c881734beb3eadd8479197cd3a4aac83ba19c77a7360d97e37a48b4a5d97e4583200537c49ba6b
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/205142/cdc_205142_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.69 MB ]