A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
Mortality in a german cohort of asphalt workers with potential bitumen exposure
Fumes from heated bitumen have been associated with various types ofcancer, including cancer of the lung. However, epidemiological studies conducted so far yielded only equivocal results with respect to an increased risk of cancer. To investigate the mortality of bitumen workers, the International Agency for Research on Cancer assembled an international study group investigating a cohort of workers employed in the asphalt industry. Here we report the results of the mortality follow-up of the German cohort until December 1998. Cause of mortality was determined by death certificates. Based on company information, subjects were classified to be exposed to bitumen (N = 2535), to bitumen and (potentially) coal tar (N = 832), and neither to tar nor to bitumen (N = 2737). When we stratified the cohort according to bitumen exposure, no clear mortality pattern emerged. Cancer mortality was significantly elevated among both, the exposed and unexposed subjects. The internal comparison between bitumen-exposed and unexposed workers revealed elevated, but non-significant associations for lung cancer (RR = 1.34; 95% CI 0.76-2.37) and head and neck cancers, respectively. Currently, a nested case-control study is under way to clarify potential reasons for the elevated SMRs (standardized mortality ratio), taking into account the workers' smoking history, jobs outside the asphalt industry, and use of personal protective equipment when working with asphalt.
Mortality in a german cohort of asphalt workers with potential bitumen exposure
Fumes from heated bitumen have been associated with various types ofcancer, including cancer of the lung. However, epidemiological studies conducted so far yielded only equivocal results with respect to an increased risk of cancer. To investigate the mortality of bitumen workers, the International Agency for Research on Cancer assembled an international study group investigating a cohort of workers employed in the asphalt industry. Here we report the results of the mortality follow-up of the German cohort until December 1998. Cause of mortality was determined by death certificates. Based on company information, subjects were classified to be exposed to bitumen (N = 2535), to bitumen and (potentially) coal tar (N = 832), and neither to tar nor to bitumen (N = 2737). When we stratified the cohort according to bitumen exposure, no clear mortality pattern emerged. Cancer mortality was significantly elevated among both, the exposed and unexposed subjects. The internal comparison between bitumen-exposed and unexposed workers revealed elevated, but non-significant associations for lung cancer (RR = 1.34; 95% CI 0.76-2.37) and head and neck cancers, respectively. Currently, a nested case-control study is under way to clarify potential reasons for the elevated SMRs (standardized mortality ratio), taking into account the workers' smoking history, jobs outside the asphalt industry, and use of personal protective equipment when working with asphalt.
Mortality in a german cohort of asphalt workers with potential bitumen exposure
Die Mortalität in einer deutschen Gruppe von Asphaltarbeitern mit möglicher Bitumenexposition
Behrens, Thomas (author) / Schill, Walter (author) / Wild, Pascal (author) / Frentzel-Beyme, Rainer (author) / Ahrens, Wolfgang (author)
2007
8 Seiten, 2 Bilder, 5 Tabellen, 22 Quellen
Conference paper
English
Asphalt - Bitumen developments
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| UB Braunschweig | 1964