A historical prospective mortality study of workers in copper and zinc refineries

Journal Article · Sat May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1982 · JOM, J. Occup. Med.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/00043764-198205000-00012· OSTI ID:5130528

Logue, J N ^[1]; Koontz, M D; Hattwick, M A.W.

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1. GEOMET Technologies, Inc., Rockville, MD

Earlier health studies of workers in electrolytic refinery operations have raised concern that workers may experience excess morbidity and premature death as a result of hazardous occupational exposures. This study was designed to determine if the refinery operation is associated with any excess mortality patterns. A cohort of 4,802 male workers exposed for at least one year during 1964-1975 was assembled from nine U.S. zinc and copper refineries. Vital status was ascertained for 4,241 (88%) of the cohort. Death certificates were obtained for 84% (355/423) of the deceased. Overall standard mortality ratios (SMRs) were calculated to be 92 for the cohort, 97 for the subgroup of copper refinery workers, and 83 for the subgroup of zinc refinery workers. Significantly high cause-specific SMRs were as follows: (1) cerebrovacular disease (CBVD) for the cohort: (2) all cancers, cancer of the digestive tract, and CBVD for the copper subgroup; (3) all cancers, cancer of the respiratory tract, and CBVD for one plant that demonstrated a significantly high overall SMR (133). The significant excess of cancer deaths among the study cohort is largely due to the plant that exhibited the significantly high overall mortality rate, but lack of smoking data qualifies this finding. The significant excess of CBVD seems to be consistent across plants and further research seems warranted to verify the finding.

• OSTI ID: 5130528
• Journal Information: JOM, J. Occup. Med.; (United States), Journal Name: JOM, J. Occup. Med.; (United States) Vol. 24:5; ISSN JJOMD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560306* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Man-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
CARCINOGENESIS
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES
COPPER
DISEASES
ELEMENTS
EPIDEMIOLOGY
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
METALS
MORTALITY
PATHOGENESIS
PERSONNEL
PROCESSING
REFINING
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
ZINC