RESUMEN
Concern about the carcinogenic potential of 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane(DBCP) has arisen recently, focusing on six organ sites: stomach, liver, kidney, lung, testes, and skin. To examine the mortality experience of persons potentially exposed, a cohort of 550 employees involved in production and formulation from 1957 to 1976 was defined. A total of 35 deaths was observed through 1979 (39.2 expected). No statistically significant excess was observed for any cause of death. No cancer deaths were noted for five of the hypothesized sites. For the lung cancer category, five deaths were observed (2.7 expected, P greater than .135), two of which occurred in a subgroup directly exposed for at least 1 yr (0.5 expected, P greater than .077). Aside from arsenicals exposure, potential confounding resulting from smoking or multiple chemical exposures could not be evaluated.
Asunto(s)
Antinematodos/efectos adversos , Neoplasias/inducido químicamente , Enfermedades Profesionales/inducido químicamente , Química Agrícola , Femenino , Humanos , Neoplasias Renales/inducido químicamente , Neoplasias Renales/mortalidad , Neoplasias Hepáticas/inducido químicamente , Neoplasias Hepáticas/mortalidad , Neoplasias Pulmonares/inducido químicamente , Neoplasias Pulmonares/epidemiología , Masculino , Neoplasias/mortalidad , Enfermedades Profesionales/mortalidad , Neoplasias Cutáneas/inducido químicamente , Neoplasias Cutáneas/mortalidad , Neoplasias Gástricas/inducido químicamente , Neoplasias Gástricas/mortalidad , Neoplasias Testiculares/inducido químicamente , Neoplasias Testiculares/mortalidad , Estados Unidos , United States Environmental Protection AgencyRESUMEN
Human exposures to ethylene glycol monomethyl ether have been associated with hematological and neurological abnormalities. Recent animal toxicology studies have also reported testicular atrophy. To determine whether employees potentially exposed to ethylene glycol monomethyl ether during manufacturing and packaging had a higher prevalence of anemia, leukopenia, or sterility than an in-plant comparison group, a cross-sectional study was conducted at the Michigan Division of Dow Chemical U.S.A. Blood samples on 65 of 97 potentially exposed and control white males, and semen samples from a subset of 15 were analyzed. With the possible exception of smaller testicular size, no gross abnormalities or clinically meaningful differences in hematological or fertility indices were noted. Results of regression modeling suggested that white blood cells and hemoglobin might be decreased at higher exposure levels.
Asunto(s)
Contaminantes Ocupacionales del Aire/envenenamiento , Contaminantes Atmosféricos/envenenamiento , Glicoles de Etileno/envenenamiento , Enfermedades Profesionales/inducido químicamente , Adulto , Contaminantes Ocupacionales del Aire/análisis , Anemia/inducido químicamente , Recuento de Células Sanguíneas , Estudios Transversales , Glicoles de Etileno/análisis , Humanos , Infertilidad Masculina/inducido químicamente , Leucopenia/inducido químicamente , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Testículo/efectos de los fármacosRESUMEN
The authors examined the mortality experience of employees whose work assignments involved development or production of styrene-based products. To investigate potential relationships between mortality and work exposure in the diverse chemical operations under study, a multiple agent approach to exposure categorization was adopted. Mortality was less than that of the corresponding U.S. white male population and was consistent with that of an industrial comparison group. Although deaths due to malignant neoplasms were fewer than expected for the total cohort, an increase in lymphatic leukemia was observed among a subgroup of employees who had exposure to polymer extrusion fumes, solvents, and colorants. However, no relationship was found with duration or intensity of exposures experiences by these employees, and the etiology of the lymphatic leukemias was not established. The approach used to characterize exposure in this study may have application in other epidemiologic investigations involving complex work environments.