Beryllium: an etiologic agent in the induction of lung cancer, nonneoplastic respiratory disease, and heart disease among industrially exposed workers

Journal Article · Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1980 · Environ. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0013-9351(80)90004-3· OSTI ID:5413419

Wagoner, J K ^[1]; Infante, P F; Bayliss, D L

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1. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Washington, DC

An epidemiologic study of workers exposed to beryllium at one production facility was undertaken. The study demonstrated a statistically significant increased risk of respiratory disease (neoplastic and nonneoplastic) and of heart disease mortality. A possible explanation other than in terms of beryllium was sought for this excessive risk of cause specific mortality among beryllium-exposed workers. The excessive risk of lung cancer mortality could not be related to an effect of age, chance, self-selection, study group selection, exposure to other agents in the study facility, or place of residence. On the basis of the frequency of cigarette smoking among those cohort members employed in 1967 to 1968 and the distribution of histologic types of lung cancer among deceased cohort members, it seems unlikely that cigarette smoking per se could have accounted for the increased risk of lung cancer among beryllium-exposed workers in the study cohort. Lifetime employment histories for members of the study cohort were not available, so that definitive statements about the role of other occupational exposures cannot be made. However, information on usual occupations as indicated on death certificates suggests that it is unlikely that some undefined occupational or environmental exposure other than to beryllium could account per se for the excessive lung cancer mortality. This interpretation is further supported by the residential stability of the study cohort in a county having a lung cancer rate significantly lower than that of the entire United States. The findings are supportive of the hypothesis that beryllium is carcinogenic to man.

• OSTI ID: 5413419
• Journal Information: Environ. Res.; (United States), Vol. 21:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
BERYLLIUM
HEALTH HAZARDS
CARCINOMAS
ETIOLOGY
CARCINOGENESIS
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES
DATA COMPILATION
EPIDEMIOLOGY
LUNGS
MEDICAL RECORDS
MORTALITY
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES
PERSONNEL
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
TABLES
TIME DEPENDENCE
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
BODY
DATA
DATA FORMS
DISEASES
ELEMENTS
HAZARDS
INFORMATION
METALS
NEOPLASMS
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANS
PATHOGENESIS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
560306* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Man- (-1987)
550600 - Medicine