Background
Elements | mg/kg of dusts | % of total | IARC Classificationb
| non-cancer health effects |
---|---|---|---|---|
Iron (Fe) | 197000 | 78 | Intestine, liver, heart | |
Aluminium (Al) | 18970 | 7.64 | Central Nervous System (CNS), bone | |
Zinc (Zn) | 14340 | 5.68 | ||
Manganese (Mn) | 12500 | 4.95 | CNS [74] | |
Total hydrocarbons | 2960 | 1.17 | (see P.A.H.) | (see P.A.H.) |
Lead (Pb) | 2860 | 1.13 | 2A (inorganic compounds) and 2B | CNS, liver, kidney [75] |
Chromium (Cr) (total) | 2230 | 0.88 | 1 | Skin, bone, kidney [75] |
Copper (Cu) | 810 | 0.32 | Liver, kidney, skin, bone, teeth | |
Nickel (Ni) | 510 | 0.20 | 1 (compounds) and 2B | |
Cadmium (Cd) | 30 | 0.0118 | 1 | Liver, kidney, eye, bone, diabetes [57] |
P.A.H. | 3.66–44.67 | 0.009 | 1 (benzo[a]pyrene), 2A, 2B and 3 | Heart (attack), teratogenic [16] |
Mercury (Hg) | 9 | 0.0035 | 2B (methyl mercury) and 3 | CNS, liver, kidney, diabetes [56] |
Arsenic (As) | 4 | 0.0015 | 1 | CNS, diabetes [56] |
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) | 0.092–0.693 | 0.0001 | 1 | Endocrine disruptor, teratogenic |
Dioxins (PCDD/F) | 107.8 ng/TEQ | / | 1 | Endocrine disruptor, teratogenic [44] |
EAF characteristics
Methods
Cohort foundry workers | |||
---|---|---|---|
Workers ≥ 1 year (exposed) | Control group (office work) | Workers < 1 year | |
Workers studied | 331 | 32 | 111 |
Mean duration of employment (median) | 8.6 (5.5) years | 5.6 (3.1) years | <1 year |
Lost to the follow-up | 22 (6 %) | 15 (31 %) | 16 (12 %) |
Person-years | 6731.0 | 491.3 | 2387.1 |
Average duration of the follow-up (range) | 20.5 (1.2–30.8) years | 15.5 (0.2–30.8) years | 21.0 (2.2–30.8) years |
Mean age at entry | 31.1 years | 35.5 years | 29.2 years |
Observed deaths (n.) | 29 | 1 | 7 |
Not included | 17 (exposition not certain) + 3 females | 12 females | |
TOTAL | 373 | 59 | 127 |
Analysis of mortality
Analysis of morbidity
Results
Analysis of mortality
ICD 9a
| ICD 10 | Cause of death | Observed | Expected | SMR | 95 % CI |
P
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
001 - 999 | A00–T98 |
All causes
| 29b
| 25.69 | 1.13 | 0.76–1.62 | 0.527 |
140 - 239 | C00–D48 |
All tumours
| 14 | 10.27 | 1.36 | 0.75–2.29 | 0.283 |
162 | C33–C34 |
Malignant tumors of the larynx, trachea, bronchi, lungs
| 8 | 2.39 |
3.35
|
1.45–6.60
|
0.010
|
410 - 414 | I20–I25 |
Ischemic heart disease
| 4 | 3.14 | 1.27 | 0.35–3.26 | 0.768 |
571 | K70; K73–K74 |
Chronic liver disease
| 2 | 1.72 | 1.16 | 0.14–4.20 | 0.837 |
800 - 999 | S00–T99 |
Injury and poisoning
| 6 | 4.53 | 1.32 | 0.48–2.88 | 0.604 |
ICD 9 | Cause of death | Years of exposure | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0 - < 1 year | 1–<5 years | 5–<10 years | 10 + years | ||||||||||
Obs | SMR | 95 % CI | Obs | SMR | 95 % CI | Obs | SMR | 95 % CI | Obs | SMR | 95 % CI | ||
001–999 | All causes | 7 | 0.97 | 0.39–2.00 | 11 | 1.29 | 0.64–2.31 | 9 | 1.21 | 0.55–2.30 | 9 | 0.94 | 0.43–1.79 |
140–239 | All tumours | 2 | 0.75 | 0.09–2.71 | 5 | 1.68 | 0.54–3.92 | 4 | 1.32 | 0.36–3.38 | 5 | 1.17 | 0.38–2.73 |
162 | Malignant tumors of the larynx, trachea, bronchi, lungs | 1 | 1.66 | 0.04–9.25 | 3 | 4.35 | 0.90–12.71 | 3 | 4.11 | 0.85–12.01 | 2 | 2.06 | 0.25–7.45 |
ICD 9 | Cause of death | Years since first exposure | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1–<10 years | 10–<20 years | 20 + years | |||||||||||
Obs | Exp | SMR | 95 % CI | Obs | Exp | SMR | 95 % CI | Obs | Exp | SMR | 95 % CI | ||
001–999 | All causes | 8 | 6.18 | 1.29 | 0.56–2.55 | 7 | 8.03 | 0.87 | 0.35–1.80 | 14 | 11.48 | 1.22 | 0.67–2.05 |
140–239 | All tumours | 2 | 1.59 | 1.26 | 0.15–4.54 | 4 | 3.11 | 1.29 | 0.35–3.29 | 8 | 5.56 | 1.44 | 0.62–2.84 |
162 | Malignant tumors of the larynx, trachea, bronchi, lungs | 1 | 0.36 | 2.78 | 0.07–15.48 | 1 | 0.75 | 1.33 | 0.03–7.43 | 6 | 1.27 | 4.72 | 1.73–10.28 |
Analysis of morbidity
Workers (n = 235) | Province of Trento (PT) (n. of male population ≥ 20 years = 203332) | PT, Adjusted for age (Mantel Haenszel) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Diseases | n. of cases | n. of cases | RR | P | RR | 95 % CI |
Tumours | 12 | 9655 | 1.08 | 0.7580 | 1.19 | 0.69–2.04 |
Cardiovascular Diseases | 5 | 8676 | 1.50 | 0.1067 |
1.74
| 1.07–2.82 |
Diabetes | 25 | 9630 |
2.24
|
0.0002
|
2.39
| 1.67–3.41 |
Rheumatoid Arthritis | 3 | 420 |
6.18
|
0.0133
|
6.17
| 2.00–19.02 |
Asthma | 2 | 1968 | 0.88 | 1.0000 | 1.08 | 0.27–4.31 |
Non-complicated Hypertension | 30 | 11655 |
2.23
|
0.0001
|
2.44
| 1.75–3.40 |
Complicated Hypertension | 14 | 6033 |
2.01
|
0.0181
|
2.22
| 1.35–3.65 |
Discussion
Limitations
Groups (N. of subjects) | Observed | Expected | SMR | 95 % CI | Person Years |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Exposed Workers ≥ 1 year (n.331) | 29 | 25.69 | 1.13 | 0.76–1.62 | 6731.0 |
Non-exposed (controls) (n.32) | 1 | 2.09 | 0.47 | 0.01–2.67 | 491.3 |
Comparison exposed/non exposed workers | RR: 2.34 | 0.39–95.72 | |||
Avoidable deaths | 16.6 | 0–28.7 |