Occupational exposure to diesel and gasoline engine exhausts and risk of lung cancer among Finnish workers.
BACKGROUND
Studies on engine exhausts and lung cancer have given inconsistent results.


METHODS
Economically active Finns were followed-up for lung cancer during 1971-95 (33,664 cases). Their Census occupations in 1970 were converted to exposures to diesel and gasoline engine exhausts with a job-exposure matrix. The relative risks (RRs) for cumulative exposure (CE) were defined by Poisson regression, adjusted for smoking, asbestos, and quartz dust exposure, and socioeconomic status.


RESULTS
RR for engine exhausts among men did not increase with increasing CE. In women, RR for gasoline engine exhaust was 1.58 (95% CI 1.10-2.26) in the CE-category of 1-99 mg/m(3)-y and 1.66 (1.11-2.50) among those with > or =100 mg/m(3)-y (lag 20 years). With a lag of 10 years RR for the middle/highest diesel exhaust category in women was 1.42 (0.94-2.13).


CONCLUSIONS
Occupational exposure to engine exhausts was not consistently associated with lung cancer in this study, possibly due to low exposure levels.
Guo
Johannes
J
Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Topeliuksenk, 00250 Helsinki, Finland. johannes.guo@occuphealth.fi
Kauppinen
Timo
T
Kyyrönen
Pentti
P
Lindbohm
Marja-Liisa
ML
Heikkilä
Pirjo
P
Pukkala
Eero
E
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D009790:Occupations; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D012042:Registries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D001335:Vehicle Emissions / Q000633:toxicity*
D001335:Vehicle Emissions