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A study of mortality among workers at a Colorado pesticide manufacturing facility was conducted. The cohort consisted of 2,384 persons ever employed at a chemical factory near Denver, Colorado from 1952 through 1982 that produced pesticides such as aldrin, dieldrin, vapona , and dibromochloropropane. The vital status of the cohort was determined as of January 1, 1991. Standardized mortality ratios were computed using mortality rates of the general Colorado population as the reference. A total of 496 deaths occurred in the cohort during the study period. Among white males, total mortality and mortality from heart disease, liver cirrhosis, all nonmalignant respiratory diseases combined, and all cancers were similar to that expected. Mortality from pneumonia was increased and mortality from cerebrovascular disease and external causes was decreased. Among the cancer deaths, mortality from lymphopoietic and hepatobiliary cancer was slightly increased. mortality from cancers at other sites was close to that expected. Among black males, mortality from all cancers was increased due to a significant increase in mortality from lymphopoietic cancer. Mortality from lung cancer and accidents was slightly increased in white females. Mortality from pneumonia and hepatobiliary cancer was significantly increased in white males who had ever been employed in hourly jobs. Mortality in nonhourly employees was close to that expected for all specific causes. Further analysis of mortality in hourly workers revealed that the deaths from hepatobiliary cancer and pneumonia occurred in those hired before 1960. No strong or consistent trends with years since hiring were detected. The authors conclude that mortality rates of this population of chemical factory workers are close to that expected and that the increases in mortality from hepatobiliary cancer and pneumonia detected in white hourly workers and lymphopoietic cancer in black workers are unlikely to be a result of occupational exposures at the facility.
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 37(4):471-478, 1995. (32 references)
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