Mortality patterns among Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant workers.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant workers had mortality patterns that differed from the general US population and to investigate whether mortality patterns were associated with job title or workplace exposures.


METHODS
A retrospective occupational cohort mortality study was conducted on 6759 workers. Standardized mortality ratio analyses compared the cohort with the referent US population. Internal comparisons producing standardized rate ratios were conducted by job title, metal exposure, and cumulative internal and external radiation exposures.


RESULTS
Overall mortality and cancer rates were lower than the referent population, reflecting a strong healthy worker effect. Individual not significant standardized mortality ratios and standardized rate ratios were noted for cancers of the lymphatic and hematopoietic tissue.


CONCLUSIONS
Although relatively low exposures to radiation and metals did not produce statistically significant health effects, no significant elevations for lymphatic and hematopoietic cancers were consistent with previous studies of nuclear workers.
Chan
Caroline
C
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Information Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA. caroline.chan@louisville.edu
Hughes
Therese S
TS
Muldoon
Susan
S
Aldrich
Tim
T
Rice
Carol
C
Hornung
Richard
R
Brion
Gail
G
Tollerud
David J
DJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005459:Fluorides / Q000633:toxicity*; D006801:Humans; D007629:Kentucky / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000401:mortality; D055848:Nuclear Power Plants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009688:Nuclear Reactors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000401:mortality*; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017974:Uranium Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D055815:Young Adult
D017974:Uranium Compounds; C036638:uranium hexafluoride; D005459:Fluorides