US EPA

1370777 

Technical Report 

Mortality among orchard workers exposed to lead arsenate spray: a cohort study 

Finklea, JF; Hammer DI $; Lykins, M; Mackey, J; Nelson, WC; Newill, V 

1973 

HAPAB/73/01857 

Chronic 

2 

HAPAB In a follow-up of a 1938 study on the effects of exposure to lead arsenate in an area of widespread use of the insecticide, mortality was not significantly higher in orchardists compared to consumers or infrequently exposed persons. Standard mortality ratios were 0.65 for orchardists, 0.78 for intermediates, and 0.74 for consumers, indicating that the mortality of all groups was lower than that of the Washington population in general. Inconsistent differences were observed on analysis by exposure duration or age group. Males had a higher mortality than females but lack of information on covariables, including cigarette smoking, loss of previously collected blood and urine data, and the possibility that the most susceptible subjects left orchard work before beginning of the study, make interpretation of the results difficult.