Ammonium perfluorooctanoate production and occupational mortality

Lundin, JI; Alexander, BH; Olsen, GW; Church, TR

HERO ID

1291108

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year

2009

Language

English

PMID

19797969

HERO ID 1291108
In Press No
Year 2009
Title Ammonium perfluorooctanoate production and occupational mortality
Authors Lundin, JI; Alexander, BH; Olsen, GW; Church, TR
Journal Epidemiology
Volume 20
Issue 6
Page Numbers 921-928
Abstract Background: Perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) is a synthetic chemical widely detectable in blood of nonoccupationally exposed persons. Its human health effects are not well-characterized. Methods: We conducted a mortality study in a cohort of 3993 employees of an ammonium perfluorooctanoate (APFO) manufacturing facility. APFO rapidly dissociates to PFOA in blood. We estimated standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) compared with the general population, and fit time-dependent Cox regression models to estimate the risks using an internal-cohort referent population. A priori diseases of interest were liver, pancreatic, prostate, and testicular cancer; cirrhosis of the liver; and cerebrovascular disease. Results: APFO exposure was not associated with liver, pancreatic or testicular cancer or with cirrhosis of the liver. SMRs (95% CI) for prostate cancer with no, probable and definite exposure strata were 0.4 (0.1–0.9), 0.9 (0.4–1.8), and 2.1 (0.4–6.1), respectively, and for cerebrovascular disease 0.5 (0.3–0.8), 0.7 (0.4–1.1), and 1.6 (0.5–3.7), respectively. The diabetes SMR for probable exposure was 2.0 (1.0–3.2). Compared with an internal referent population of nonexposed workers, moderate or high exposures to ammonium perfluorooctanoate were positively associated with prostate cancer (HR = 3.0 [0.9–9.7] and 6.6 [1.1–37.7], respectively) and with cerebrovascular disease (1.8 [0.9–3.1] and 4.6 [1.3–17.0], respectively). Diabetes was associated with moderate exposure 3.7 (1.4–10.1); no deaths from diabetes occurred in workers with high exposure. Conclusion: We did not observe ammonium perfluorooctanoate exposure to be associated with liver, pancreatic, and testicular cancer or cirrhosis of the liver. Exposure was associated (albeit inconsistently) with prostate cancer, cerebrovascular disease, and diabetes.
Doi 10.1097/EDE.0b013e3181b5f395
Pmid 19797969
Wosid WOS:000270874000023
Is Certified Translation No
Dupe Override No
Is Public Yes
Language Text English
Keyword peroxisome-proliferator; hepatic-enzymes; United-States; fatty-acids; PPAR-alpha; workers; cancer; gamma; lipoproteins; cholesterol
Relationship(s)