Mortality and cancer incidence in aluminum reduction plant workers

Journal Article · Fri Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · JOM, Journal of Occupational Medicine; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/00043764-199111000-00011· OSTI ID:5862983

Spinelli, J J; Band, P R; Svirchev, L M; Gallagher, R P ^[1]

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1. Division of Epidemiology, Biometry and Occupational Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver (Canada)

An historical cohort study was conducted among 4,213 men who worked for 5 or more years at a Soderberg aluminum reduction plant in British Columbia (BC), Canada. Standardized mortality and incidence ratios were used to compare the mortality and cancer incidence of the cohort with that of the BC population and to examine risk by cumulative exposure to coal-tar pitch volatiles (CTPV) and electromagnetic fields. Significantly elevated rates were observed for bladder cancer incidence (standardized incidence ratio (SIR) = 1.69) and brain cancer mortality (standardized mortality ratio = 2.17). The risk of bladder cancer was strongly related to cumulative exposure to CTPV (P less than .01). The risk for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma also increased with increasing exposure (P less than .05), although the overall rate was similar to that of the general population (SIR = 1.06). The lung cancer rate was as expected (SIR = 0.97), but showed a weak association with CTPV exposure that was not statistically significant. No individual cause of death or incident cancer site was related to exposure to electromagnetic fields. Analysis of the joint effect of smoking and CTPV exposure on lung and bladder cancer showed the exposure response relationships to be independent of smoking.

• OSTI ID: 5862983
• Journal Information: JOM, Journal of Occupational Medicine; (United States), Journal Name: JOM, Journal of Occupational Medicine; (United States) Vol. 33:11; ISSN 0096-1736; ISSN JJOMD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
560400 -- Other Environmental Pollutant Effects
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
BRITISH COLUMBIA
CANADA
CARCINOGENESIS
COAL TAR
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DISEASE INCIDENCE
DISEASES
ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS
EPIDEMIOLOGY
MATTER
METALLURGY
MORTALITY
NEOPLASMS
NORTH AMERICA
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PATHOGENESIS
PERSONNEL
TAR
VOLATILE MATTER