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Cancer mortality among workers exposed to formaldehyde
Author(s) -
Liebling Tina,
Rosenman Kenneth D.,
Pastides Harris,
Griffith Ruth G.,
Lemeshow Stanley
Publication year - 1984
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/ajim.4700050602
Subject(s) - medicine , occupational exposure , environmental health , formaldehyde , organic chemistry , chemistry
Proportionate mortality among workers exposed to formaldehyde was analyzed among employees of a large chemical plant in Western Massachusetts. Twenty‐four such decedents, all males, were identified through union records, reports of former coworkers, and a systematic review of obituaries in local newspapers. Work histories were obtained from seniority lists. Race‐age‐sex‐adjusted proportionate mortality ratios (PMRs) were significantly elevated for cancer of the colon based on United States. county, and county cancer mortality proportions (PMR = 702, 424, 333, p ≤ 0.05). as were PMRs for the category buccal and pharyngeal cancer (PMR = 870, 952, 833. p < 0.05). This study provides evidence of formaldehyde's carcinogenicity. These findings are at variance with a previous report of the mortality experience of workers at the same plant from an earlier period.