Epidemiologic assessment of occupational illness caused by exposures to petrochemicals.

Details

• Personal Author:
  Landrigan, Philip J. ; Rinsky RA ; Waxweiler, Richard J. ; Landrigan, Philip J. ; Rinsky RA ; Waxweiler, Richard J.
• Description:
  Four epidemiological surveys in the petrochemical industry were reported. The first assessed the leukemia mortality of 1,006 rubber hydrochloride (7647010) workers (SIC-2822) who had been exposed to benzene (71432). The second study investigated the incidence of brain tumor deaths among petrochemical workers (SIC-2911) who produced ethylene-oxide (75218), vinyl-chloride (75014), acetates, and ethylene-amines. The third study examined the occurrence of acute peripheral neuropathy among workers at a facility that produced plastic coated fabrics (SIC-2295). In the fourth study, infertility of male pesticide workers (SIC-0721) who had been exposed to dibromochloropropane (96128) was examined. Seven leukemia deaths occurred among the rubber hydrochloride workers, where 1.25 deaths were expected. Twenty two brain tumor deaths occurred where 10.7 were expected among the petrochemical workers. Forty eight cases of acute peripheral neuropathy occurred among the workers at the plastic coated fabrics plant, and the cases were concentrated in the prints department where there had been in use a print solvent containing methyl-butyl-ketone (591786). Of the male pesticide workers, 13.1 were found to be azoospermic, as opposed to the expected 2.9 percent. Although the unexposed workers showed no symptoms of severe oligospermia, 16.8 percent of the exposed workers were found to have this condition. The authors conclude that these petrochemicals caused diseases or conditions relating to the occupation of the exposed subjects. Epidemiology is useful in evaluating occupational diseases caused by petrochemicals. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Mortality Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Risk Assessment Safety Surveys And Questionnaires Toxicology
• Keywords:
  Medical-research; Medical-surveys; Disease-incidence; Risk-analysis; Occupational-exposure; Industrial-chemicals; Toxicopathology; Mortality-surveys; Quantitative-analysis; Industrial-medicine
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Proceedings ; Proceedings
• Place as Subject:
  Alaska ; OSHA Region 10
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) ; National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health ; Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America ; North America
• Pages in Document:
  84-96
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00151038
• Citation:
  Proceedings of the Seventh Alaska Health Congress, May 6-8, 1982, Energy, Health, and the Environment. The Health Impact of Petrochemical Development 1982 May; :84-96
• CAS Registry Number:
  1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane (CAS RN 96-12-8) ; 2-Hexanone (CAS RN 591-78-6) ; Benzene (CAS RN 71-43-2) ; Ethylene oxide (CAS RN 75-21-8) ; Hydrochloric acid (CAS RN 7647-01-0) ; Vinyl chloride (CAS RN 75-01-4) ; 1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane (CAS RN 96-12-8) ; 2-Hexanone (CAS RN 591-78-6) ; Benzene (CAS RN 71-43-2) ; Ethylene oxide (CAS RN 75-21-8) ; Hydrochloric acid (CAS RN 7647-01-0) ; Vinyl chloride (CAS RN 75-01-4)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1982
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  2822 - Synthetic rubber - (SIC) ; 2911 - Petroleum refining - (SIC) ; 2295 - Coated fabrics, not rubberized - (SIC)
• Source Full Name:
  Proceedings of the Seventh Alaska Health Congress, May 6-8, 1982, Energy, Health, and the Environment. The Health Impact of Petrochemical Development
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:7dc847c09aedf140bc731323e8446b4703641ae07d6ad9e7b7238120dab30b8f7dcaa9b938d34d035f87873a0fe7fec262d5d13dcaf290925445e82b6de3b57d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/245729/cdc_245729_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 168.02 KB ]