Laryngeal cancer and occupational exposure to sulfuric acid

Conference · Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1984 · Am. J. Epidemiol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5694401

Soskolne, C L; Zeighami, E A; Hanis, N M; Kupper, L L; Herrmann, N; Amsel, J; Mausner, J S; Stellman, J M

Workers on an ethanol unit which used sulfuric acid in strong concentrations at a large refinery and chemical plant in Baton Rouge, Louisiana were reported in 1979, at excess risk for upper respiratory cancer. The carcinogen implicated by indirect evidence was diethyl sulfate. However, with the continued use of sulfuric acid in the same plant, and with additional cases not attributable to the ethanol process, the hypothesis of an association between sulfuric acid exposure and upper respiratory cancer was tested. Each of 50 confirmed cases of upper respiratory cancer diagnosed between 1944 and 1980, was matched to at least three controls on sex, race, age, date of initial employment, and duration of employment. Thrity-four of the 50 cases were laryngeal cancers. Data were obtained from existing plant records. Retrospective estimates of exposure were made without regard to case or control status. Findings from conditional logistic regression techniques were supported by other statistical methods. Among workers classified as potentially highly exposed, four-fold relative risks for all upper respiratory cancer sites combined were exceeded by the relative risk for laryngeal cancer specifically. Exposure-response and consistency across various comparisons after controlling statistically for tobacco-use, alcoholism and other previously implicated risk factors, suggest increased cancer risk with higher exposure.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Toronto, Ontario
• OSTI ID: 5694401
• Report Number(s): CONF-8306266-
• Journal Information: Am. J. Epidemiol.; (United States), Vol. 120:3; Conference: 16. annual meeting of the Society for Epidemiologic Research, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, 15 Jun 1983
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
LARYNX
NEOPLASMS
DISEASE INCIDENCE
SULFURIC ACID
HEALTH HAZARDS
EPIDEMIOLOGY
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
RISK ASSESSMENT
STATISTICAL DATA
DATA
DISEASES
HAZARDS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
INORGANIC ACIDS
NUMERICAL DATA
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
560306* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Man- (-1987)