Mortality among employees at a petrochemical research facility

Abstract

Background This retrospective follow‐up study evaluated mortality during 1970–1996 among 6,956 employees at a petrochemical research facility in Illinois. Methods Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) compared employees' mortality rates with those of the Illinois general population. Poisson regression procedures estimated rate ratios for various subject subgroups compared to other facility employees. Results Subjects had 267 observed/524 expected deaths (SMR = 51) from all causes combined and a large deficit of deaths from all cancers (76/136, SMR = 56) and from most other major diseases. Other results included fewer than expected brain cancers (1/4.0, SMR = 25) and a slight increase in colorectal cancer (20/14, SMR = 139) that was concentrated in white male scientists employed for one of the three main companies at the facility (SMR = 295, RR = 2.6). Conclusions The deficit of brain cancer deaths contrasts with an excess incidence seen in a companion study. Subjects' generally favorable mortality experience probably reflects socioeconomic advantages of employees relative to the Illinois general population. Am. J. Ind. Med. 39:29–41, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Case–control study to assess the association between colorectal cancer and selected occupational agents using INTEROCC job exposure matrix

“…Workers in a petrochemical research facility where there was exposure to a range of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbon solvents were found to have an increased risk of death from colorectal cancer 8. Exposure to high levels of toluene was associated with higher risk of rectum cancer23 which disappeared after adjustment to occupational factors.…”

“…The studies that have been done have found associations between colorectal cancer risk and different occupational groups such as textile industry workers, firefighters, automobile workers,7 petrochemical industry workers,8 beverage industry workers, iron and steel workers, dockyard workers9–11 and railway employees 12. Most of these studies described the association with job categories rather than occupational agents.…”

Epidemiology of primary brain tumors: Current concepts and review of the literature

“…A recent study showed an increased risk (OR 4.9; 95% CI 0.6-42.2) for glioma among petroleum and gas workers in the San Francisco Bay Area (Carozza et al, 2000). Two recent studies of a suspected brain tumor cluster in a petrochemical research facility found an excess of benign brain tumors, but a de cit of brain cancer deaths (Delzell et al, 1999;Rodu et al, 2001;Sathiakumar et al, 2001). Although there appears to be a trend toward increased risk among workers in some parts of the petrochemical industry, the lack of detection of a responsible agent in more detailed studies confounds a causal connection.…”