The mortality experience of 371 employees assigned to acrylamide monomer and polymerisation operations was examined with particular emphasis on cancers at sites identified from animal studies such as the central nervous system, thyroid gland, other endocrine glands, and mesotheliomas. A total of 29 deaths was observed up until 1982 (38-0 expected). No statistically significant excesses were noted in the total cohort and no deaths were found for the hypothesised sites of cancer. The observed deaths in the total cohort for the all cancers category were somewhat in excess (11 v 7-9); however, this was due entirely to excess cancers of the digestive tract and respiratory system in the subgroup with previous exposure to organic dyes. Among those employees not exposed to organic dyes, four deaths were due to malignancies versus 6-5 expected. This study does not support a cause effect relation between exposure to acrylamide at this work site and overall mortality, total malignant neoplasms, or any specific cancers.Acrylamide is a white crystalline solid which is important as a chemical intermediate and as a monomer used in the production of polyacrylamides. The effects of exposure to acrylamide have been reported to include peeling and redness of the skin of the hands, localised numbness of the legs, excessive sweating of the feet and hands, and both central and peripheral nervous system damage.' Epidemiological studies of employees exposed to acrylamide have not been published to date.The chronic effects of acrylamide in rats have been investigated in a two year toxicity-oncogenicity study.2 Fischer 344 rats were divided into groups of 90 rats by sex and dose level and given water formulated to provide 0. 0-01, 0 1, 0 5, and 2-0 mg/kg/day of acrylamide. Histopathological examination indicated that in the female rats at the highest dose level there was a statistically significant increase in the number of neoplasms of the mammary gland, nervous system, clitoral gland, uterus, oral cavity, and thyroid gland. Data from male rats indicated an increased incidence of mesothelioma in the scrotal cavity at dosages of 0-5 and 2-0 mg/kg/day. The incidence of benign tumours of the thyroid gland was also statistically increased at doses of 2-0 mg/kg/day. Although not statistically significant, there appeared to be an increased incidence of tumours in the brain and spinal cord at the highest level in the male rats.2
Objective: The authors examined the long-term health effects of occupational exposure to acrylamide among production and polymerisation workers. Methods: An earlier study of 371 acrylamide workers was expanded to include employees hired since 1979. In this updated study, 696 acrylamide workers were followed from 1955 through 2001 to ascertain vital status and cause of death. Exposure to acrylamide was retrospectively assessed based on personal samples from the 1970s onwards and area samples over the whole study period. Results: Fewer of the acrylamide workers died (n = 141) compared to an expected number of 172.1 (SMR 81.9, 95% CI 69.0 to 96.6). No cause-specific SMR for any of the investigated types of cancer was exposure related. The authors did, however, find more pancreatic cancer deaths than expected (SMR 222.2, 95% CI 72.1 to 518.5). With respect to non-malignant disease, more diabetes deaths were observed than expected (SMR 288.7, 95% CI 138.4 to 531.0). To assess the influence of regional factors, the analysis was repeated with an internal reference population. The elevated SMR for diabetes persisted. Conclusion: This study provides little evidence for a cancer risk from occupational exposure to acrylamide at production facilities. However, the increased rates of pancreatic cancer in this study and another larger study of acrylamide production workers indicate that caution is needed to rule out a cancer risk. The authors believe that the excess of diabetes mortality in this study is most likely not related to acrylamide exposure, because a larger study of acrylamide workers reported a deficit in this cause of death. The authors conclude that the increased SMR for diabetes mortality is probably not related to regional influences.
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