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
667893
Reference Type
Journal Article
Title
Cohort mortality study of workers at seven beryllium processing plants: update and associations with cumulative and maximum exposure
Author(s)
Schubauer-Berigan, MK; Couch, JR; Petersen, MR; Carreón, T; Jin, Y; Deddens, JA
Year
2011
Is Peer Reviewed?
1
Journal
Occupational and Environmental Medicine
ISSN:
1351-0711
EISSN:
1470-7926
Volume
68
Issue
5
Page Numbers
345-353
Language
English
PMID
20952555
DOI
10.1136/oem.2010.056481
Abstract
Objectives To extend follow-up of cause-specific mortality in workers at seven beryllium processing plants and to estimate associations between mortality risk and beryllium exposure. Methods 9199 workers were followed for mortality from 1940 through 2005. Standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) were estimated based on US population comparisons for lung, nervous system and urinary tract cancers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic kidney disease, and categories containing chronic beryllium disease (CBD) and cor pulmonale. Associations with maximum and cumulative exposure were calculated for a subset of the workers. Results Overall mortality in the cohort compared with the US population was elevated for lung cancer (SMR 1.17; 95% CI 1.08 to 1.28), COPD (SMR 1.23; 95% CI 1.13 to 1.32), and the categories containing CBD (SMR 7.80; 95% CI 6.26 to 9.60) and cor pulmonale (SMR 1.17; 95% CI 1.08 to 1.26). Mortality rates for most diseases of interest increased with time-since-hire. For the category including CBD, rates were substantially elevated compared to the US population across all exposure groups. Workers whose maximum beryllium exposure was ≥10 μg/m(3) had higher rates of lung cancer, urinary tract cancer, COPD and the category containing cor pulmonale than workers with lower exposure. Significant positive trends with cumulative exposure were observed for nervous system cancers (p=0.0006) and, when short-term workers were excluded, lung cancer (p=0.01), urinary tract cancer (p=0.003) and COPD (p<0.0001). Conclusion These findings reaffirm that lung cancer and CBD, and suggest that COPD and nervous system and urinary tract cancers, are related to beryllium exposure. Cigarette smoking and exposure to other lung carcinogens are unlikely to explain these elevations.
Tags
•
Tetrachloroethylene (Perc) (Final, 2012)
All References
•
Trichloroethylene (TCE) (Final, 2011)
OPPT REs
•
OPPT_Perchloroethylene (Perc)_C. Engineering
Total – title/abstract screening
Off topic
•
OPPT_Perchloroethylene (Perc)_D. Exposure
Total – title/abstract screening
Off topic
•
OPPT_Perchloroethylene (Perc)_E. Fate
Total – title/abstract screening
Off topic
•
OPPT_Perchloroethylene (Perc)_F. Human Health
Total – title/abstract screening
Off topic
Home
Learn about HERO
Using HERO
Search HERO
Projects in HERO
Risk Assessment
Transparency & Integrity