Jump to main content
US EPA
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Search
Search
Main menu
Environmental Topics
Laws & Regulations
About EPA
Health & Environmental Research Online (HERO)
Contact Us
Print
Feedback
Export to File
Search:
This record has one attached file:
Add More Files
Attach File(s):
Display Name for File*:
Save
Citation
Tags
HERO ID
3101178
Reference Type
Book/Book Chapter
Title
Cancer risk of insulation workers in the United States
Author(s)
Selikoff, IJ; Hammond, EC; Seidman, H
Year
1973
Publisher
International Agency for Research on Cancer
Location
Lyon, France
Book Title
Biological effects of asbestos
Page Numbers
209-216
Language
English
URL
https://ntrl.ntis.gov/NTRL/dashboard/searchResults/titleDetail/PB90103813.xhtml
Exit
Abstract
Three investigations were made of workers exposed to asbestos insulation materials. In one study, the entire membership of the insulation workers union in the United States and Canada was registered for observation. Another group consisted of workers hired between 1941 and 1945 by a factory which manufactured amosite asbestos insulation materials until 1954. Among asbestos insulation workers in the U.S., approximately one death in five has been the result of lung cancer. Incidence of gastro-intestinal cancer was more than double that of the general population, and mesothelioma was responsible for 7% of all deaths. Increased incidence of lung cancer was seen as soon as 10 to 14 years from onset of exposure. The authors suspect that more intense exposure experienced by factory workers is associated with earlier appearance of asbestos lung cancer. However, especially among the less intensely exposed insulation workers, although early lung cancer increase was seen, the greater increase occurred 30 to 45 years from exposure onset. Data indicate that these risks were associated with the asbestos insulation materials per se. There was no evidence that chrysotile was associated with greater risk than amosite, or vice versa.
Editor(s)
Bogovski, P; Wilson, JC; Timbrell, V; Wagner, JC
Series
IARC Scientific Publication No. 8
ISBN
9780119506761
Conference Name
Working Group to Assess Biological Effects of Asbestos meeting
Conference Location
Lyon, France
Conference Dates
October 2-5, 1972
Tags
OPPT REs
•
OPPT_Asbestos, Part I: Chrysotile_F. Human Health
Total – title/abstract screening
On topic
Peer review
Primary source
On topic - additional tags for titles/abstracts
Human hazard ID
Home
Learn about HERO
Using HERO
Search HERO
Projects in HERO
Risk Assessment
Transparency & Integrity