Mortality and Cancer Experience of Quebec Aluminum Reduction Plant Workers. Part 3: Monitoring the Mortality of Workers First Employed After January 1, 1950

Abstract

Statistically significant improvements were found in mortality from all causes combined, from cancer and from cancer of the lung and bladder. Slightly increased mortality continues from certain other causes.

Relationship between cardiopulmonary mortality and cancer risk and quantitative exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, fluorides, and dust in two prebake aluminum smelters

“…This cohort was previously found to have an elevated risk of prostate cancer mortality compared to the Australian population for production workers (10 deaths, SMR 2.4, 95% CI: 1.3-4.4), but no excess was observed with prostate cancer incidence (29 cases, SIR 1.1, 95% CI: 0.7-1.5) [20]. The lack of a relationship between prostate cancer and smelter exposures is consistent with previous studies [10][11][12][13][14].…”

“…The median of the exposed workers and the maximum cumulative BaP exposure in this study were 0.18 and 90 lg/m 3 -year, respectively, with the high exposure categories defined as [7.9 for bladder cancer, [10.9 for respiratory cancer, and [6.8 for stomach cancer. Thus, the majority of the 'high' exposure workers in the prebake smelters fell within the lowest exposure group ([0-20 lg/m 3 -year) of the Söder-berg smelter studies, whose highest exposure groups were [80 [10] and [320 lg/m 3 -year [13,14]. In prebake smelters, the highest CTPV exposure occurs in the anode plant and during new pot start up operations.…”

“…In addition to lung and bladder cancer, exposures in Söderberg smelters have also been associated with nonHodgkin lymphoma and pancreatic, stomach and kidney cancers [9][10][11][12][13][14], and with other chronic diseases, including fluoride exposure with respiratory disease mortality [12,15] and CTPV exposure with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease mortality [13,14] and heart disease mortality [16,17]. However, these findings have not been consistent across studies.…”

“…An excess risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma has been associated with BaP exposure in a Canadian aluminum study [9,10]. The Quebec study has found elevated SMRs for nonHodgkin's lymphoma, but there was no association with CTPV exposure [13,14].…”

“…A US study was the first to find a slight excess risk of stomach cancer in aluminum smelters [35]. The latest update of the Quebec aluminum smelter studies also found an increased risk of stomach cancer [13,14], but the excess risk was only associated with CTPV exposure in those hired after 1950. Another Canadian smelter study observed an exposure-response association with both BSF and BaP [10]; all workers in that cohort were hired in the 1950s or later.…”