Mortality among chemical workers at Texas City plant: 1940-2001.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the mortality experience of workers at a major chemical manufacturing site and to examine brain and liver cancers excesses reported at this site in previous studies.


METHODS
This study included 9,730 employees at the Texas City location who worked between 1940 and 2001. Standardized mortality ratios and confidence intervals were calculated.


RESULTS
There was less than expected deaths due to all cause mortality and no increase in all cancer mortality. Brain tumor mortality, which did exceed expected rates in past years, was at expected levels in recent years. Liver cancer mortality was greater than expected.


CONCLUSIONS
Brain tumor mortality was either due to chance in the early years or the cause of the brain tumors has been eliminated. Mortality due to liver cancer is higher than expected but only among men hired before 1950.
Haidar
Salma
S
Epidemiology Department, The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, MI 48674, USA. shaidar@dow.com
Burns
Carol
C
Birdsong
Kay
K
Bodner
Kenneth
K
Salazar
Eugenio
E
Collins
James J
JJ
D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D002423:Cause of Death; D002617:Chemical Industry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D009026:Mortality; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*; D009790:Occupations; D015996:Survival Rate; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology