Cardiovascular mortality among Swedish pulp and paper mill workers.
BACKGROUND
Malignant diseases but also cardiovascular and respiratory disorders and diabetes mellitus have been associated with work in pulp and paper production. The present cohort focuses on cardiovascular mortality in relation to various exposures in this industry.


METHODS
The cohort, followed-up for mortality, includes 7,107 workers, 6,350 men and 757 women, from three major old mills in the middle of Sweden.


RESULTS
Instead of a healthy-worker effect, a slightly increased risk for death in diseases of the circulatory system was found for male workers. Notably, work with sulfate digestion, steam and power generation and maintenance was associated with significantly increased risks. Cerebrovascular diseases showed non-significantly increased risks for maintenance and paper and paperboard production and manufacture.


CONCLUSIONS
The differences in risk among various parts of the production are striking although it is hard to pinpoint any specific exposures. Dust and small particles along with sulfur compounds might be suspected.
Persson
Bodil
B
Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden. bodil.persson@lio.se
Magnusson
Anders
A
Westberg
Håkan
H
Andersson
Eva
E
Torén
Kjell
K
Wingren
Gun
G
Axelson
Olav
O
D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000401:mortality*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019652:Extraction and Processing Industry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010209:Paper; D020521:Stroke / Q000401:mortality*; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D014934:Wood