title: Occupational exposure to trichloroethylene and cancer risk for workers at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP) became operational in 1952; it is located in the western part of Kentucky. We conducted a mortality study for adverse health effects that workers may have suffered while working at the plant, including exposures to chemicals.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied a cohort of 6820 workers at the PGDP for the period 1953 to 2003; there were a total of 1672 deaths to cohort members. Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a specific concern for this workforce; exposure to TCE occurred primarily in departments that clean the process equipment. The Life Table Analysis System (LTAS) program developed by NIOSH was used to calculate the standardized mortality ratios for the worker cohort and standardized rate ratio relative to exposure to TCE (the U.S. population is the referent for ageadjustment). LTAS calculated a significantly low overall SMR for these workers of 0.76 (95% CI: 0.72-0.79). A further review of three major cancers of interest to Kentucky produced significantly low SMR for trachea, bronchus, lung cancer (0.75, 95% CI: 0.72-0.79) and high SMR for Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) (1.49, 95% CI: 1.02-2.10).
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant SMR was observed for leukemia and no significant SRRs were observed for any disease. Both the leukemia and lung cancer results were examined and determined to reflect regional mortality patterns. However, the Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma finding suggests a curious amplification when living cases are included with the mortality experience.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further examination is recommended of this recurrent finding from all three U.S. Gaseous Diffusion plants.
authors.affiliation: College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
authors.forename: Debra E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Bahr
authors.forename: Timothy E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Aldrich
authors.forename: Dazar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Seidu
authors.forename: Gail M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Brion
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Tollerud
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Muldoon
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Reinhart
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Youseefagha
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McKinney
authors.forename: Therese
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rice
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Brewer
authors.forename: Ronald W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Freyberg
authors.forename: Adriane Moser
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Mohlenkamp
authors.forename: Kristen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hornung
authors.forename: Mona
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Aniruddha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dastidar
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Saman
authors.forename: Hege
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ravdal
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Scutchfield
authors.forename: Kenneth J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Eger
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Minor
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019652:Extraction and Processing Industry; D015989:Healthy Worker Effect; D006801:Humans; D007629:Kentucky / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000401:mortality*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014241:Trichloroethylene / Q000009:adverse effects*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D014241:Trichloroethylene