Mortality study of ethylene oxide workers in chemical manufacturing: a 10 year update

Men assigned to units producing ethylene oxide by the chlorohydrin or direct oxidation processes and to other departments using ethylene oxide in two chemical plants were followed up for mortality from 1940 to 1988 (n = 1896). Based on findings from a previous study of these workers to the end of 19...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:British Journal of Industrial Medicine 1993-08, Vol.50 (8), p.704-709
Main Authors: Teta, M J, Benson, L O, Vitale, J N
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Cancer
Cause of Death
Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases
Chemical hazards
Chemical Industry
Chlorohydrins
Death
Ethylene Oxide - adverse effects
Ethylene Oxide - chemical synthesis
Follow-Up Studies
Heart diseases
Humans
Leukemia
Male
Medical sciences
Mortality
Occupational Diseases - chemically induced
Occupational Diseases - mortality
Occupational Exposure - adverse effects
Oxidation
Oxides
Risk Factors
Stomach cancer
Time Factors
Toxicology
Various organic compounds
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Summary:Men assigned to units producing ethylene oxide by the chlorohydrin or direct oxidation processes and to other departments using ethylene oxide in two chemical plants were followed up for mortality from 1940 to 1988 (n = 1896). Based on findings from a previous study of these workers to the end of 1978, which identified confounding exposures, workers assigned to one unit with low ethylene oxide exposure potential were excluded (n = 278). Average duration of exposure was over five years and average follow up was 27 years, with all subjects at least 10 years from first exposure. The data did not support associations of ethylene oxide with all cancer types combined, leukaemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, or brain, pancreatic, or stomach cancers. There were also no duration-response trends. The standardised mortality ratio (SMR) for total cancer was 86 (95% confidence interval 71-104) and did not increase for those hired the earliest and with long duration assignments. The results of this 10 year update and those of other recent studies of ethylene oxide workers do not confirm findings from animal studies and are not consistent with the earliest results reported among ethylene oxide workers.
ISSN:0007-1072
1351-0711
1470-7926
DOI:10.1136/oem.50.8.704