Assessment of 1,3-butadiene epidemiology studies

Journal Article · Fri Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · Environmental Health Perspectives; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.9086135· OSTI ID:6364816

Ott, M G ^[1]

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1. BASF Corporation, Parisppany, NJ (USA)

Positive carcinogenicity studies in mice and rats have led to concerns that 1,3-butadiene may be carcinogenic in humans under exposure conditions that have existed in occupational settings and perhaps exist today. The principal settings of interest are the styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) manufacturing industry, which uses large quantities of 1,3-butadiene, and the 1,3-butadiene monomer industry. The potential for 1,3-butadiene exposure is highest during monomer transfer operations and is lowest in finishing areas of polymerization plants where the polymer products are processed. Three large cohort mortality studies have been conducted in the SBR and monomer producing industries since 1980. These studies, which examined the mortality experience of over 17,000 men employed in one monomer and 10 SBR facilities, are the subject of this review. All but one of the facilities began operations during the early 1940s. The mortality experience observed within these employee cohorts is comparable to that seen in other long-term studies of men employed in the petroleum, chemical, and rubber industries for all causes of death, total malignant neoplasms, and for the specific cancers seen in excess in the toxicologic studies. This paper discusses discrepant findings observed in more detailed analyses within individual cohorts and among employment subgroups, as well as selected limitations of the particular studies. Additional efforts to refine 1,3-butadiene exposure categories are needed. Within the context of sample size limitations inherent in these studies, there is currently inadequate evidence to establish a relationship between cancer mortality outcomes and 1.3-butadiene exposure in humans. 22 refs.

• OSTI ID: 6364816
• Journal Information: Environmental Health Perspectives; (USA), Journal Name: Environmental Health Perspectives; (USA) Vol. 86; ISSN 0091-6765; ISSN EVHPA
• 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.
BUTADIENE
CARCINOGENESIS
CHEMICAL INDUSTRY
DIENES
DISEASES
DOCUMENT TYPES
EPIDEMIOLOGY
HYDROCARBONS
INDUSTRY
NEOPLASMS
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PATHOGENESIS
PERSONNEL
POLYENES
REVIEWS