Mortality From Lymphohematopoietic Malignancies Among Workers in Formaldehyde Industries

• DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djg083
• Publication Date: 2003-11-04T19:31:20Z
• Authors: M. Hauptmann
• Keywords: Adult; Male; Lymphoma; Middle Aged; United States; 3. Good health; Cohort Studies; Occupational Diseases; Fixatives; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Chemical Industry; Formaldehyde; Hematologic Neoplasms; Occupational Exposure; Carcinogens; Odds Ratio; Humans; Aged; Disinfectants

Many U.S. factory workers are exposed to formaldehyde. Although increased risks for leukemia have been found in medical and other professionals formaldehyde, studies industrial workers, who thought higher exposures, shown inconsistent associations. We extended follow-up of a cohort evaluate the association between formaldehyde exposure lymphohematopoietic cancers.The consisted 25 619 (865 708 person-years) employed before January 1, 1966, at one 10 plants followed through December 31, 1994. analyzed (peak exposure, average intensity, cumulative duration exposure) mortality from malignancies using standardized ratios relative 95% confidence intervals (CIs) based on Poisson regression. Statistical tests were two-sided.Among cohort, there 178 deaths malignancies. Relative (69 deaths), particularly myeloid (30 with exposure. Compared low peak levels (0.1-1.9 ppm), 2.43 (95% CI = 0.81 7.25) 3.46 1.27 9.43) 2.0-3.9 ppm > or 4.0 ppm, respectively (P(trend) =.009). intensity (0.1-0.4 0.5-0.9 1.0 had 1.15 0.41 3.23) 2.49 1.03 6.03), =.088). The risk was not associated but weakly Hodgkin's disease also exposure.Exposure may cause leukemia, humans. However, results investigations mixed, suggesting caution drawing definitive conclusions.