A study of the effect of perchloroethylene exposure on the reproductive outcomes of wives of dry-cleaning workers

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · American Journal of Industrial Medicine; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.4700200503· OSTI ID:5449179

Eskenazi, B; Fenster, L; Hudes, M; Wyrobek, A J; Katz, D F; Gerson, J; Rempel, D M ^[1]

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1. Program of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley (United States)

The purpose of this investigation was to compare the reproductive outcomes of wives of men exposed to perchloroethylene in the dry-cleaning industry compared to those of wives of laundry workers. Seventeen female partners of dry cleaners and 32 partners of laundry workers were interviewed. The number of pregnancies and the standardized fertility ratios were similar between the two groups. Wives of dry cleaners did not have higher rates of spontaneous abortions. However, wives of dry cleaners were more than twice as likely to have a history of attempting to become pregnant for more than 12 months or to have sought care for an infertility problem. Cox proportional hazards models indicated that dry-cleaners' wives had half of the per-cycle pregnancy rate of wives of laundry workers, when controlling for other potential confounders (estimated rate ratio of 0.54, 95% C.I. = 0.23, 1.27).

• OSTI ID: 5449179
• Journal Information: American Journal of Industrial Medicine; (United States), Journal Name: American Journal of Industrial Medicine; (United States) Vol. 20:5; ISSN AJIMD; ISSN 0271-3586
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMALS
CHLORINATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
FERTILITY
FERTILIZATION
GAMETES
GERM CELLS
HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
MAMMALS
MAN
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
PREGNANCY
PRIMATES
SENSITIVITY
SPERMATOZOA
TOXICITY
VERTEBRATES