Bladder cancer among chemical workers exposed to nitrogen products and other substances

Abstract

This study confirms that bladder cancer mortality is elevated among persons who worked mainly in the NP Division of the Lima plant, but at a lower, less statistically significant level than indicated by the original cohort study. No occupational risk factors considered to be causally related to the bladder cancer excess could be identified by this intensive investigation; other possible reasons for the excess are suggested by the descriptive data.

Mortality Among Chemical Plant Workers Exposed to Acrylonitrile

“…10 original cohort comprised 992 white male workers employed for at least 3 months between 1960 and 1996, followed for deaths through 1996. 13 This update confirmed the original excess among persons who worked mainly in the nitrogen products (NPs) division of the Lima facility, but at a lower level of statistical significance (five deaths, standardized mortality ratio [SMR] = 3.10; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01 to 7.24). 13 This update confirmed the original excess among persons who worked mainly in the nitrogen products (NPs) division of the Lima facility, but at a lower level of statistical significance (five deaths, standardized mortality ratio [SMR] = 3.10; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01 to 7.24).…”

“…10,13 The following section summarizes earlier activities and describes materials and methods used in this update. Details on the methods and results of our original cohort enumeration, mortality tracing, cause of death ascertainment, exposure assessment, and our statistical analyses are reported elsewhere.…”

“…10 Four additional bladder cancer deaths were observed since the previous update, 13 and these occurred among AN-exposed workers resulting in a not statistically significant 2.27-fold excess (SMR = 2.27; 95% CI, 0.62 to 5.80). All 15 lung cancer deaths among the AN-exposed occurred among members of the original Lima cohort (an increase of six deaths from the original nine exposed to AN).…”

“…10 To investigate further a statistically significant 7.01fold bladder cancer mortality excess among AN-unexposed workers based on four deaths, the Lima cohort was expanded to include all workers employed for any length of time between plant start-up in 1955 and 1996 (n = 1841), with mortality follow-up extended through 1998. 13 In 2011, the current owner of the Lima facility, INEOS Nitriles, Inc, commissioned us to expand and update the Lima cohort study to investigate further long-term health effects of exposure to AN, with emphasis on mortality from malignant neoplasms, in particular, lung cancer. A nested case-control study of bladder cancer found no clear associations with specific occupational factors, including AN exposure.…”

Causal Associations between Serum Urea and Cancer: A Mendelian Randomization Study

“…For instance, based on a case of 80 workers, EI Far et al [38] measured levels of three cancer biomarkers (carcinoembryonic antigen, α-fetoproteins, and prostate-specific antigen) in male workers exposed to urea for eight years, but all the urea values maintained at a range of physiological condition. Through a case-control study of 1841 workers in a nitrogen products (including urea) industry, Marsh et al [39] assessed nitrogen products' associations with bladder cancer risk. However, there was no elaboration about urea alone; thus, the effects of urea still remain elusive.…”