A retrospective mortality study among Canadian petroleum marketing and distribution workers
- Exxon Biomedical Sciences, East Millstone, NJ (United States)
- Imperial Oil Limited, Toronto, Ontario (Canada)
- McGill Univ., Montreal (Canada)
We conducted a retrospective mortality study among 6672 petroleum marketing and distribution workers from 226 locations throughout Canada. These employees worked for at least 1 year in the marketing distribution segment from 1964 through 1983 or were annuitants as of 1964. Industrial hygienists assigned hydrocarbon (HC) exposure frequency scores for several jobs. departments, and job functions. We computed standardized mortality ratios for the total cohort, HC exposure frequency groups, and tank truck drivers, and we also used Poisson regression techniques to model mortality for selected causes of death according to HC exposure frequency. Results indicate overall mortality below that of the general Canadian population for all marketing distribution workers [Standardized mortality ratio (SMR) = 0.88]. Mortality from aortic aneurysms was significantly elevated in all marketing/distribution workers (SMR = 1.79) but was due to raised mortality in nonexposed workers (SMR = 2.SO). Tank truck drivers showed significantly elevated mortality due to leukemia (SM = 3.35) based on five deaths. The leukemia findings were not evident in the larger group of marketing distribution workers classified as exposed to hydrocarbons (SMR = 1.01). No other cause of death was elevated in truck drivers. The leukemia findings are suggestive of a possible influence due to exposure to HCs in tank truck drivers. although other explanations cannot be ruled out. Other findings of elevated mortality in the marketing distribution group are generally not statistically significant. These included moderately increased mortality due to multiple myelorna, malignant melanoma, and kidney cancer. Small numbers of observed and expected deaths limit concise interpretations for these diseases. 37 refs., 9 tabs.
- OSTI ID:
- 478938
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9111356-; ISSN 0091-6765; TRN: 97:000657-0012
- Journal Information:
- Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol. 101, Issue Suppl.6; Conference: International symposium on the health effects of gasoline, Miami, FL (United States), 5-8 Nov 1991; Other Information: PBD: Dec 1993
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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