Mortality patterns among workers exposed to styrene in the reinforced plastic boatbuilding industry: An update

✍ Scribed by Avima M. Ruder; Elizabeth M. Ward; Maxia Dong; Andrea H. Okun; Karen Davis-King

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2004
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 143 KB
• Volume: 45
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0271-3586
• DOI: 10.1002/ajim.10349

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Background

Mortality was updated through 1998 for 5,204 workers exposed to styrene between 1959 and 1978 at two reinforced plastic boatbuilding plants. The a priori hypothesis: leukemia and lymphoma excesses would be found.

Methods

Standardized mortality ratios (SMR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) used Washington State and U.S. rates.

Results

Overall, 860 deaths occurred (SMR 1.09, CI 1.02–1.17), with excess mortality for esophageal cancer (n = 12, SMR 2.30, CI 1.19–4.02), prostate cancer (n = 24, SMR 1.71, CI 1.09–2.54), and accidents (n = 99, SMR 1.26, CI 1.02–1.53). Among 2,062 highly exposed workers, urinary tract cancer (n = 6, SMR 3.44, CI 1.26–7.50) and respiratory disease (n = 12, SMR 2.54, CI 1.31–4.44) rates were elevated. Urinary tract cancer SMR increased with duration of employment.

Conclusions

We found no excess leukemia or lymphoma mortality. Unanticipated excess urinary tract cancer and respiratory disease mortality, possibly associated with styrene exposure, are difficult to interpret and could be chance findings. Am. J. Ind. Med. 45:165–176, 2004. Published 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.