Mortality in workers exposed to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin at a trichlorophenol plant in New Zealand.
OBJECTIVE
We examined the overall mortality rates of 1599 workers employed between 1969 and 1988 at a New Zealand site, which manufactured trichlorophenol.


METHODS
We developed exposure estimates for 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin from a serum dioxin evaluation and used standardized mortality ratios (SMR) and proportional hazards models to evaluate risk from exposure.


RESULTS
Among exposed workers, deaths from total cancers (SMR = 1.1, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.9-1.4), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (SMR = 1.6, 95% CI: 03-4.7), and ischemic heart disease (SMR = 1.1, 95% CI: 0.9-1.5) were slightly greater than expected, whereas deaths from lung cancer (SMR = 0.8, 95% CI: 0.4-1.5) were less than expected. We observed no significant trends with exposure levels.


CONCLUSIONS
Although this study is small, we found no increasing trend of cancer or disease risk with increasing 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin exposure with the possible exception of all cancers combined.
McBride
David I
DI
Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. david.mcbride@stonebow.otago.ac.nz
Collins
James J
JJ
Humphry
Noel F
NF
Herbison
Peter
P
Bodner
Ken M
KM
Aylward
Lesa L
LL
Burns
Carol J
CJ
Wilken
Michael
M
D000328:Adult; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000401:mortality; D002423:Cause of Death; D002617:Chemical Industry; D002733:Chlorophenols / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004147:Dioxins / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000401:mortality; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008452:Maximum Allowable Concentration; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000401:mortality*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016272:Occupational Health; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011336:Probability; D016019:Survival Analysis
D002733:Chlorophenols; D004147:Dioxins