Lung-cancer mortality in workers exposed to sulfuric acid mist and other acid mists in steel-pickling operations

Technical Report · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:6498963

Beaumont, J J; Leveton, J; Knox, K; Bloom, T; McQuiston, T

A total of 1165 steel workers who had been exposed to sulfuric acid and other acid mists during steel-pickling operations were studied to determine whether there was any evidence of respiratory cancer which could be linked to these exposures. These workers had been employed at three large midwestern steel-manufacturing operations where acid was used to remove oxides from newly produced steel. Cancer of the trachea, bronchus, and lung showed increased mortality in this study. Deaths from buccal cavity, pharynx, and larynx cancers were at normal levels. Deaths from nonmalignant respiratory diseases were lower than normal rates. The excess lung-cancer cases occurred both in workers who had been exposed only to sulfuric-acid mists and in those exposed only to other acids. The authors conclude that there was an increased risk of lung cancer in workers exposed to sulfuric acid and in workers exposed to other acids. Continued monitoring of lung-cancer rates is recommended by the authors, since other acids have replaced sulfuric acid to a great degree.

• Research Organization: National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6498963
• Report Number(s): PB-87-165221/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
550900* -- Pathology
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
DISEASES
FLUIDS
FOUNDRIES
GASES
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
INDUSTRY
INORGANIC ACIDS
INSPECTION
MATERIALS
MEDICINE
METAL INDUSTRY
NEOPLASMS
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES
PICKLING
POLLUTION
SULFURIC ACID
SURFACE TREATMENTS
TOXICITY
VAPORS