Retrospective mortality study of cadmium workers: An update

Technical Report · Thu Feb 06 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:7275779

Thun, M J; Schnorr, T M; Halperin, W E

A retrospective cohort mortality study was conducted among a group of workers exposed to cadmium (7440439), to determine specific causes of death among these workers. The report reviewed the findings of the study and presented additional findings concerning exposures to other hazards at the facility. The study examined the causes of death for 292 cadmium workers who worked at least 2 years at a small facility that recovered cadmium from bag house dust. Exposures included dusts of cadmium-oxide (1306190) and cadmium-sulfide (1306236) and to fumes of cadmium itself. Over a two fold excess of deaths from respiratory cancer was noted among these workers when compared with the general population and over a three fold excess of deaths from prostatic cancer among the men. A follow up of the study cohort revealed that all cause mortality was slightly below that of the United States male population. The Standardized Mortality Ratio for circulatory disease was 65. Deaths due to respiratory cancer were 65% above the number expected. All of the 20 deaths from respiratory cancer were due to cancer of the lung, trachea and bronchus. Deaths due to genitourinary cancer were 35% above expected levels.

• Research Organization: National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH (United States)
• OSTI ID: 7275779
• Report Number(s): PB-92-205954/XAB
• 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.
ANIMALS
BODY
CADMIUM
DISEASES
ELEMENTS
EPIDEMIOLOGY
GLANDS
MALE GENITALS
MAMMALS
MAN
METALS
MORTALITY
NEOPLASMS
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
ORGANS
PERSONNEL
PRIMATES
PROSTATE
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
TOXICITY
UROGENITAL SYSTEM DISEASES
VERTEBRATES