Exposure to Nitrosamines, Carbon Black, Asbestos, and Talc and Mortality from Stomach, Lung, and Laryngeal Cancer in a Cohort of Rubber Workers

Abstract

There is sufficient evidence for an excess occurrence of stomach and lung cancer among rubber workers. However, evidence for causal associations with specific exposures is still limited. A cohort of 8,933 male German rubber workers was followed for mortality from January 1, 1981 through December 31, 1991. Work histories were reconstructed using routinely documented cost center codes. For each cost center code, calendar timeand plant-specific levels of exposure to nitrosamines, asbestos, talc (low, medium (m), and high (h)), and carbon black (two levels) were estimated by industrial hygienists. Rate ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using Cox proportional hazards models, with the lowest exposure level used as the reference category. Exposure was lagged 10 years to account for latency. Exposure-response relations between exposure to asbestos and lung cancer mortality (RR m = 1.3, 95% CI: 0.9, 1.9; RR h = 2.0, 95% CI: 0.9, 4.1) and between exposure to dust (talc and asbestos combined) and stomach cancer mortality (RR m = 1.8, 95% CI: 0.9, 3.8; RR h = 2.7, 95% CI: 1.0, 7.1) were observed. Exposure to nitrosamines was not associated with mortality from stomach or lung cancer. These results suggest that the increased mortality from lung and stomach cancer among rubber workers is associated with exposure to asbestos and dust, respectively. Am J Epidemiol

Cancer incidence and mortality in a Swedish rubber tire manufacturing plant

“…Also, increased respiratory cancer mortality has been found, both in this study and in some earlier studies, [Sorahan et al, 1989;Weiland et al, 1996] while others have failed to find such effects [Straughan and Sorahan, 2000]. In the present cohort, the increased incidence risk for cancer in the trachea, bronchus, and lung system was seen in all work categories, although most pronounced among men engaged in compounding and mixing, milling, and in maintenance work, possibly caused by exposure to respirable particles as such, for instance talc, asbestos, and silica, or by chemical effects from some, or a mixture, of the agents with mutagenic effects emitted into the air [Fracasso et al, 1999;Straif et al, 2000b;Moshammer and Neuberger, 2004]. Also, an increased incidence of cancer of the larynx was seen among all men in the present cohort and was found in excess among the milling category.…”

An update of a mortality study of talc miners and millers in Italy

“…Combined exposure to talc and asbestos has been associated to gastric cancer risk in one German study of 11,633 rubber workers, with a significant RR of 2.3 [Straif et al, 2000]. The RR for lung cancer was 1.7.…”

Cancer mortality and occupational exposure to aromatic amines and inhalable aerosols in rubber tire manufacturing in Poland

“…Whilst these cancer risks have been linked to employment in the rubber industry in previous studies [3,12,24], these were attributed to inhalable aerosols and not to aromatic amines as in our study. Furthermore, increased female breast cancer risk has also been previously reported for employment in the rubber industry [39], and although this was also specifically Table 5 Risk of death from selected cancers by 5-year lagged cumulative exposure to aromatic amines and inhalable aerosol in female workers of the rubber manufacturing plant in Poland.…”

“…In a review of the available literature published after the IARC evaluation [3], Kogevinas et al concluded that the diversity of chemicals used or generated during rubber manufacture and the paucity of measured exposure data preclude elucidating causal associations with specific substances. Exposure assessment studies have shown that workers employed in this industry are exposed to numerous airborne chemicals, including aromatic amines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, n-nitrosamines, solvents, rubber process dusts, and rubber fumes, all of which have been shown to be carcinogenic and/or mutagenic [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13].…”