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Mortality study of workers employed at organochlorine pesticide manufacturing plants.

Ditraglia D; Brown DP; Namekata T; Iverson N

Scand J Work Environ Health 1981 Dec; 7(Suppl 4):140-146

http://www.sjweh.fi/show_abstract.php?abstract_id=2586

00157474

Mortality among workers occupationally exposed to organochlorine pesticides was investigated. About 2,100 workers employed for more than 6 months in the manufacture of chlordane (12789036), heptachlor (76448), endrin (72208) and DDT (50293), and combinations of aldrin (309002) dieldrin (60571) endrin at four different sites were included in the study. The vital status of as many workers as possible was ascertained. Number of deaths expected was compared to the number observed. The standardized mortality ratios from death due to all causes were low. Vital status for up to 10 percent of the workers in the DDT and aldrin facilities was unknown at the time of analysis. There was a significant increase in the number of observed deaths over the number of expected deaths due to nonmalignant respiratory system diseases at the aldrin facility. A deficit in the number of deaths due to all malignant neoplasms was observed. In the aldrin facility an excess of cancer of the esophagus, rectum, liver, and lymphatic and hematopoietic systems was noted. There was an increase in the risk of cancer mortality with increase in time of employment between 10 and 20 years of exposure; however, after 20 years no significant increase in cancer risk was found. The authors conclude that additional analyses are needed to determine whether or not the excess in respiratory disease is associated with a specific occupational exposure to a pesticide.

NIOSH-Author; Analytical-models; Workers; Environmental-protection; Tissue-distribution; Histology; Health-services; Workplace-studies; Cytology; Air-flow; Analytical-instruments; Author Keywords: aldrin; cancer; chlordane; dichloro-diphenyl-trichloro-ethane; DDT; dieldrin endrin epidemiology heptachlor

Mr DP Brown, Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations and Field Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45226, USA

SWEHDO

12789-03-6; 76-44-8; 72-20-8; 50-29-3; 309-00-2; 60-57-1

19811201

Journal Article

1982

0355-3140

DSHEFS

Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health

IL; OH; WA