Mortality rates among workers exposed to dioxins in the manufacture of pentachlorophenol.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to determine if workers exposed to dioxins in pentachlorophenol (PCP) manufacturing were at increased risk of death from specific causes.


METHODS
We examined death rates among 773 workers exposed to chlorinated dioxins during PCP manufacturing from 1937 to 1980 using serum dioxin evaluations to estimate exposures to five dioxins.


RESULTS
Deaths from all causes combined, all cancers combined, lung cancer, diabetes, and ischemic heart disease were near expected levels. There were eight deaths from non-Hodgkin lymphoma (standardized mortality ratios = 2.4, 95% CI = 1.0 to 4.8). We observed no trend of increasing risk for any cause of death with increasing dioxin exposure. However, the highest rates of non-Hodgkin lymphoma were found in the highest exposure group (standardized mortality ratios = 4.5, 95% CI = 1.2 to 11.5).


CONCLUSIONS
Other than possibly an increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, we find no other cause of death related to the mixture of the dioxin contaminants found in PCP.
The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Michigan 48674, USA. jjcollins@dow.com
James J
JJ
Collins
Kenneth
K
Bodner
Lesa L
LL
Aylward
Michael
M
Wilken
Gerard
G
Swaen
Robert
R
Budinsky
Craig
C
Rowlands
Catherine M
CM
Bodnar
D000328:Adult; D002617:Chemical Industry; D004147:Dioxins / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*; D008824:Michigan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D010416:Pentachlorophenol / Q000138:chemical synthesis; D012306:Risk
D004147:Dioxins; D010416:Pentachlorophenol