Environmental epidemiologic investigation of the styrene-butadiene rubber industry. Mortality patterns with discussion of the hematopoietic and lymphatic malignancies.

Abstract

8 (1982) 250-259. A retrospective cohort mortality study and an industrial hygiene assessment were undertaken in two styrene-butadiene rubber producing facilities in eastern Texas. Occupational histo!Y records were available from 1943 at plant A and from 1950 at plant B to the study cut-off date of 31 March 1976. With a two-sided test statistic, no statistically significant excesses in total or cause-specific mortality were observed for the overall worker population of either plant. However, the plant A study group demonstrated a nonsignificant statistical excess [standardized mortality ratio (SMR) of 203] for the cause-specific category of leukemia and aleukemia. Additional analyses were performed on a subgroup consisting of all white males with at least six months of employment at plant A between the beginning of 1943 and the end of 1945, a time which coincided with process and operational changes. An SMR of 278, also not statistically significant, was demonstrated for the leukemia and aleukemia cause-specific category. Due to the relative modest study population sizes, the power of this study to detect statistically significant excesses in leukemias or other malignancies of the hematopoietic and lymphatic tissues is not very large unless one is interested in 'substantial excesses, such as those that would correspond to a fourfold increase in risk.

Mortality among workers engaged in the development or manufacture of styrene-based products--an update.

“…Two studies have been done of workers in the styrene-butadiene rubber industry (7,8). The ratio of 1,3-butadiene to styrene used to manufacture styrenebutadiene rubbe r was approximately three part s butadiene to one part styrene.…”

“…but different, industries are important to consider. Table 8 summarizes seven published mortality studies (7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13) of workers who were potentially exposed to styrene-based products in the three general industry classifications of styrene-butadiene rubber, styrene monomer and polymerization, and reinforced plastics. It is critical to differentiate the exposure circumstances in each of these industrie s before consider ing their individual or collective results.…”

Structure of the 1,4-Bis(2‘-deoxyadenosin-N6-yl)-2S,3S-butanediol Intrastrand DNA Cross-Link Arising from Butadiene Diepoxide in the Human N-ras Codon 61 Sequence

“…The predominant adducts formed upon exposure of DNA to butadiene epoxides are N7-dG adducts (111). The N7-N7 guanine interstrand crosslinked adduct has been determined to be the major DNA-DNA cross-link induced by BDO 2 (17). It will also be of considerable interest to examine the structures of N7-guanine adducts.…”

“…The International Agency for Cancer Research (IARC) lists BD as a "probable human carcinogen" (Group 2A) (10-12). Chronic human exposure in the SBR industry may induce genotoxic effects (13)(14)(15) and is correlated with increased risk for leukemia (1,(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24).…”

The non-Hodgkin lymphomas: A review of the epidemiologic literature

“…There were 4 observed deaths (2.4 expected) due to lymphosarcoma and reticulosarcoma among workers at 2 styrene-butadiene rubberproducing facilities in eastern Texas. 226 Exposure to formaldehyde has not been shown to be associated with risk of NHL. 71,170,227 The association between nitrates in drinking water and risk of NHL has been examined in several ecologic studies, with inconsistent results.…”