Morbidity survey of US oil shale workers employed during 1948-1969

Journal Article · · Arch. Environ. Health; (United States)

OSTI ID:5467806

Rom, W N; Krueger, G; Zone, J; Attfield, M D; Costello, J; Burkart, J; Turner, E R

The health status of 325 oil shale workers employed at the Anvil Points, Colorado, demonstration facility from 1948 to 1969 was evaluated. As a comparison population, 323 Utah coal miners frequency matched for age were studied. The prevalence of respiratory symptoms among oil shale workers who smoked were similar to the coal miners who smoked, although nonsmoking oil shale workers had fewer symptoms compared to nonsmoking coal workers. Four cases of skin cancers were found on the oil shale workers and eight cases in the controls. Similar numbers of nevi, telangiectasiae, possible pitch warts, pigment changes (solar/senile lentigo), and papillomata (seborrheic keratoses and skin tags) were seen in both groups, while actinic keratoses were more frequent in the oil shale workers. The prevalence of actinic keratoses was significantly associated with oil shale work after allowing for age, sun exposure, and other exposures. The prevalence of pulmonary cytology metaplasia was associated with years of production work in oil shale among both smokers and ex-smokers. More of the oil shale workers had atypical cells in the urine, but the excess mostly found among ex-smokers. Although these workers had short-term and limited oil shale exposure work exposure, the authors recommend that medical surveillance of oil shale workers consider the skin, respiratory, and urinary systems for special observation.

• Research Organization: Dept. of Internal Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT
• OSTI ID: 5467806
• Journal Information: Arch. Environ. Health; (United States), Vol. 40:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMAL CELLS
MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES
OIL SHALE INDUSTRY
HEALTH HAZARDS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
DISEASE INCIDENCE
SKIN DISEASES
DATA COMPILATION
LUNGS
MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
SKIN
TIME DEPENDENCE
TOBACCO SMOKES
URINE
AEROSOLS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOLOGICAL WASTES
BODY
BODY FLUIDS
COLLOIDS
DATA
DISEASES
DISPERSIONS
HAZARDS
INDUSTRY
INFORMATION
MATERIALS
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANS
RESIDUES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
SMOKES
SOLS
SURVEILLANCE
WASTES
040700* - Oil Shales & Tar Sands- Health & Safety
560306 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Man- (-1987)