Mortality in the German Porcelain Industry 1985-2005: First Results of an Epidemiological Cohort Study

Objectives: To evaluate mortality due to lung cancer, silicosis, renal cancer, renal disease and other causes among German porcelain production workers potentially exposed to crystalline silica. Methods: Seventeen thousand six hundred forty-four medical surveillance participants (1985-1987) were fol...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of occupational and environmental medicine 2009-03, Vol.51 (3), p.373-385
Main Authors: Birk, Thomas, Mundt, Kenneth A., Guldner, Karlheinz, Parsons, William, Luippold, Rose S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Air Pollutants, Occupational
Biological and medical sciences
Cause of Death - trends
Ceramics industry
Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases
Cohort Studies
Dental Porcelain
Epidemiologic Studies
Epidemiology
Female
Germany - epidemiology
Humans
Industry
Inorganic dusts (pneumoconiosises) and organic dusts (byssinosis etc.)
Kidney diseases
Kidney Neoplasms - mortality
Lung cancer
Lung Neoplasms - mortality
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Mortality
Mortality - trends
Occupational Exposure
Occupational health
ORIGINAL ARTICLES
Population Surveillance
Silicon Dioxide - poisoning
Studies
Toxicology
Workers
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Summary:Objectives: To evaluate mortality due to lung cancer, silicosis, renal cancer, renal disease and other causes among German porcelain production workers potentially exposed to crystalline silica. Methods: Seventeen thousand six hundred forty-four medical surveillance participants (1985-1987) were followed through 2005 for mortality. Cause specific Standardized Mortality Ratios (SMR) and 95% confidence intervals were estimated. Results: Women (SMR = 0.85; 95% CI = 0.78 to 0.93), but not men, demonstrated a healthy worker effect. Lung and renal cancers, and renal disease (non-malignant renal disease) were not associated with employment or exposure surrogates. Mortalit was increased from silicosis (SMR = 7.20; 95% CI = 2.32 to 16.8) liver(SMR= 1.99; 95% CI= 1.29 to 2.93) and pancreatic (SMR = 1.71; 95% CI = 1.18 to 2.41) cancers among men, and diabetes among women (SMR = 1.74; 95% CI = 1.07 to 2.65). A sub-cohort of Bavarian workers generated similar but generally higher SMRs. Conclusions: Silicosis mortality was increased in this, among the larg studies to date. However, associations previously observed betwee crystalline silica exposure and renal or lung cancers or non-malignan renal disease were not supported.
ISSN:1076-2752
1536-5948
DOI:10.1097/JOM.0b013e3181973e19