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Acute and chronic liver toxicity resulting from exposure to chlorinated naphthalenes at a cable manufacturing plant during World War II
Author(s) -
Ward Elizabeth M.,
Ruder Avima M.,
Suruda Anthony,
Smith Alexander B.,
FesslerFlesch Cynthia A.,
Zahm Shelia Hoar
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0274(199608)30:2<225::aid-ajim15>3.0.co;2-z
Subject(s) - medicine , cirrhosis , cohort , standardized mortality ratio , confidence interval , alcoholic liver disease , cohort study , population , epidemiology , surgery , environmental health
Historical records were used to reconstruct an outbreak of chloracne and acute liver toxicity due to chlorinated napthalene exposure at a New York State plant which manufactured “Navy cables” during World War II. A cohort mortality study was conducted of the population (n = 9.028) employed at the plant from 1940 to 1944. Vital status followed through December 31, 1985. The study found an excess of deaths from cirrhosis of the liver [observed (OBS) = 150; standardized mortality ratio (SMR) = 1.84; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.56‐2.16]; cirrhosis deaths were elevated to a similar degree in the 460 individuals who had chloracne (OBS = 8; SMR = 1.51; CI = 0.65‐2.98). The SMR for “non‐alcoholic cirrhosis” (OBS = 83; SMR = 1.67; CI = 1.33‐2.07) was similar to the SMR for “alcoholic cirrhosis” (OBS = 59; SMR = 1.96; CI = 1.49‐2.53). There was no evidence for increased alcoholism in the overall cohort based on mortality from alcohol‐related causes of death other than cirrhosis (SMR for esophageal cancel = 1.01 and for deaths from alcoholism = 0.99). We conclude that the excess mortality from cirrhosis of the liver observed in this cohort is due to the chronic effect of chlorinated naphthalene exposure. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. This article is a US Government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.