Article

Mortality study of cancer risk among oil refinery workers.

Institute of Occupational Health, Clinica L. Devoto, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.
Archiv für Gewerbepathologie und Gewerbehygiene (impact factor: 1.89). 02/1989; 61(4):261-70. pp.261-70
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT The mortality experience of 1595 male workers employed in one of the largest Italian refineries in the period from 1949-1982 was examined. From the comparison with national and local death rates, increases in mortality owing to lung and kidney cancers, brain tumors, and leukemias emerged. No definite trends according to duration of exposure and years since first exposure were apparent. The increases regarding cancer of the lung, kidney and brain appeared to be associated with the early period of operations. Analysis by exposure category suggested an association of the increased mortality from leukemias with working in production (observed = 2; expected = 0.61). Kidney cancer mortality was elevated among maintenance workers (obs. = 2; exp. = 0.18). Small numbers prevented firmer conclusions. Workers in the moving department had a significantly increased mortality from all cancers (obs. = 22; exp. = 11.7), and lung cancer (obs. = 11; exp. = 3.6). Confounding by smoking could be excluded as sufficient explanation of the three-fold increase in lung cancer deaths. It was in moving that highest airborne levels of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons had been discovered in an independent environmental investigation.

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Keywords

brain tumors
 
cancers
 
definite trends
 
exp
 
exposure category
 
firmer conclusions
 
first exposure
 
highest airborne levels
 
increased mortality
 
kidney cancers
 
largest Italian refineries
 
local death rates
 
lung cancer
 
lung cancer deaths
 
maintenance workers
 
mortality experience
 
moving department
 
obs
 
polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons
 
sufficient explanation
 

P A Bertazzi