Silicosis and lung cancer in U. S. metal miners

Journal Article · Fri Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · Archives of Environmental Health; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/00039896.1991.9937433· OSTI ID:6054329

Amandus, H; Costello, J ^[1]

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1. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV (USA)

The association between silicosis and lung cancer mortality was estimated in 9,912 (369 silicotics and 9,543 nonsilicotics) white male metal miners. These miners were examined by the U.S. Public Health Service during 1959-1961 and were followed through 1975. Miners were excluded from this study if they were employed in a mine during 1959-1961 that used diesel equipment underground. The ores that were mined consisted of copper, lead-zinc, iron, mercury, lead silver, gold and gold-silver, tungsten, and molybdenum. The standardized mortality ratio (SMR, U.S. white male rates) for lung cancer was 1.73 (95% CI: .94-2.90) in silicotics and 1.18 (95% CI: .98-1.42) in nonsilicotics. Additionally, SMRs were higher in silicotics than in nonsilicotics, even in most subgroups stratified by cigarette smoking habit, type of ore mined, years of service in an underground job, radon exposure group, or year of hire. When lung cancer mortality between silicotics and nonsilicotics was compared, the age-adjusted rate ratio (95% CI) was 1.56 (.91-2.68), and the age- and smoking-adjusted rate ratio was 1.96 (.98-3.67). Corresponding figures for miners who were employed in mines with low levels of radon exposure were 1.90 (.98-3.67) and 2.59 (1.44-4.68), respectively. These findings indicate that lung cancer mortality risk was increased in silicotics, and this probably did not result from chance or bias. However, confounding from radon exposure could not be ruled out. The findings indicate that further follow-up of this cohort is needed.

• OSTI ID: 6054329
• Journal Information: Archives of Environmental Health; (USA), Journal Name: Archives of Environmental Health; (USA) Vol. 46:2; ISSN 0003-9896; ISSN AEHLA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AEROSOLS
BODY
COLLOIDS
COPPER
DISEASES
DISPERSIONS
ELEMENTS
EPIDEMIOLOGY
FLUIDS
GASES
GOLD
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
INDUSTRY
IRON
LEAD
LUNGS
MERCURY
METAL INDUSTRY
METALS
MINERS
MOLYBDENUM
MORTALITY
NEOPLASMS
NONMETALS
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
ORGANS
PERSONNEL
RADON
RARE GASES
RESIDUES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
RISK ASSESSMENT
SMOKES
SOLS
TOBACCO SMOKES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
TUNGSTEN
ZINC