Evaluation of mortality and cancer incidence among alachlor manufacturing workers

J F Acquavella; S G Riordan; M Anne; C F Lynch; J J Collins; B K Ireland; W F Heydens

doi:10.1289/ehp.96104728

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Evaluation of mortality and cancer incidence among alachlor manufacturing workers

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Evaluation of mortality and cancer incidence among alachlor manufacturing workers

J F Acquavella, S G Riordan, M Anne, C F Lynch, J J Collins, B K Ireland and W F Heydens

Environmental health perspectives, Vol.104(7), pp.728-733

07/1996

DOI: 10.1289/ehp.96104728

PMID: 8841758

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Abstract

Alachlor is the active ingredient in a family of preemergence herbicides. We assessed mortality rates from 1968 to 1993 and cancer incidence rates from 1969 to 1993 for manufacturing workers with potential alachlor exposure. For workers judged to have high alachlor exposure, mortality from all causes combined was lower than expected [23 observed, standardized mortality ratio (SMR) = 0.7, 95% CI, 0.4-1.0], cancer mortality was similar to expected (6 observed, SMR = 0.7, 95% CI, 0.3-1.6), and there were no cancer deaths among workers with 5 or more years high exposure and 15 or more years since first exposure (2.3 expected, SMR = 0, 95% CI, 0-1.6). Cancer incidence for workers with high exposure potential was similar to the state rate [18 observed, standardized incidence ratio (SIR) = 1.2, 95% CI, 0.7-2.0], especially for workers exposed for 5 or more years and with at least 15 years since first exposure (4 observed, SIR = 1.0, 95% CI, 0.3-2.7). The most common cancer for these latter workers was colorectal cancer (2 observed, SIR 3.9, 95% CI, 0.5-14.2 among workers). Despite the limitations of this study with respect to small size and exposure estimating, the findings are useful for evaluating potential alachlor-related health risks because past manufacturing exposures greatly exceeded those characteristic of agricultural operations. These findings suggest no appreciable effect of alachlor exposure on worker mortality or cancer incidence rates during the study period.

Humans

Occupational Exposure

Herbicides - adverse effects

Neoplasms - mortality

Chemical Industry

Incidence

Occupational Diseases - chemically induced

Occupational Diseases - mortality

Neoplasms - chemically induced

Acetamides - adverse effects

Retrospective Studies

Occupational Diseases - epidemiology

Evaluation Studies as Topic

Neoplasms - epidemiology

Details

Title: Subtitle: Evaluation of mortality and cancer incidence among alachlor manufacturing workers
Creators: J F Acquavella - Monsanto Company, St. Louis, MO 63167, USA
S G Riordan
M Anne
C F Lynch
J J Collins
B K Ireland
W F Heydens
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Environmental health perspectives, Vol.104(7), pp.728-733
Publisher: United States
DOI: 10.1289/ehp.96104728
PMID: 8841758
ISSN: 0091-6765
eISSN: 1552-9924
Language: English
Date published: 07/1996
Academic Unit: Epidemiology
Record Identifier: 9983995118802771

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