Progress of the NIOSH cross-sectional medical study of workers occupationally exposed to chemicals contaminated with 2,3,7,8-TCDD.
Abstract
A cross sectional epidemiological study of living individuals who worked at two United States facilities manufacturing chemicals contaminated with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (1746016) (TCDD) was being conducted to evaluate those health outcomes previously reported to be associated with exposure to such contaminated materials. Study design, referent selection and subject participation rates were provided. Of the 584 workers eligible for this study, 400 were alive and located. Of these 400, 90 percent were interviewed and 70 percent examined. For comparison, unexposed referents matched to each worker by age, race, sex, and current resident community of the worker were studied. The examination was a 2 day physical including dermatologic, neurologic, neurobehavioral and neurophysiological evaluations, blood and urine chemistries, measurement of serum levels of TCDD, complete medical history and other health appraisals. Analyses of the findings from the questionnaires and medical examinations were being carried out. Future studies were expected to assess the relationship of current and past health status of exposed workers and their histories of employment in the manufacture of chemicals contaminated with TCDD as well as the current serum levels of TCDD.
