Mortality among semiconductor and storage device-manufacturing workers.
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated mortality during 1965 to 1999 among 126,836 workers at two semiconductor facilities and one storage device facility.


METHODS
We compared employees' cause-specific mortality rates with general population rates and examined mortality patterns by facility, duration of employment, time since first employment, and work activity.


RESULTS
Employees had lower-than-expected mortality overall (6579 observed deaths, standardized mortality ratio [SMR] = 65; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 64-67), for all cancers combined (2159 observed, SMR = 78, 95% CI = 75-81) and for other major diseases. Central nervous system cancer was associated with process equipment maintenance at one of the semiconductor facilities (10 observed, SMR = 247, 95% CI = 118-454). Prostate cancer was associated with facilities/laboratories at the storage device facility (18 observed, SMR = 198, (5% CI = 117-313).


CONCLUSIONS
Further evaluation of workplace exposures or independent investigations of similar occupational groups may clarify the interpretation of associations observed in this study.
Beall
Colleen
C
Department of Epidemiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL 35294-0022, USA. cbeall@ms.soph.uab.edu
Bender
Thomas J
TJ
Cheng
Hong
H
Herrick
Robert
R
Kahn
Amy
A
Matthews
Robert
R
Sathiakumar
Nalini
N
Schymura
Maria
M
Stewart
James
J
Delzell
Elizabeth
E
D000328:Adult; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D015984:Causality; D002423:Cause of Death; D016543:Central Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D016248:Computer Storage Devices; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality*; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000401:mortality*; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D012666:Semiconductors; D014707:Vermont / Q000453:epidemiology