Update of cancer incidence among workers at a copper/nickel smelter and nickel refinery
Update of cancer incidence among workers at a copper/nickel smelter and nickel refinery
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DOI：
10.1007/s004200050276
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发表时间：
1998-06-01
影响因子：
3
通讯作者：
Karjalainen, S
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Anttila, A;Pukkala, E;Karjalainen, S
目的：评估镍暴露工人的癌症风险。方法：我们更新了在芬兰Harjavalta的一家铜/镍冶炼厂和镍精炼厂工作至少3个月的1388名工人的癌症发病率。1960-1985年期间，有1155名工人在冶炼厂（566名工人）、修理厂（239名工人）或精炼厂（418名工人）接触镍。通过芬兰癌症登记处的档案跟踪癌症发病率，直至1995年12月31日。对于总体癌症和先验选定的特定癌症类型，观察到的病例数与预期病例数的比率以标准化发病率（SIR）计算，控制年龄、性别和日历期间，并使用区域特定比率作为参考。结果：镍暴露和未暴露亚队列的总体癌症发病率均在预期水平。在接触不溶性镍化合物的冶炼厂工人中，肺癌发病率略有增加，在潜伏期超过20年的工人中有统计学意义。在炼油厂的工人中，主要暴露于低于0.5 mg/m(3)的硫酸镍以及低浓度的其他镍化合物中，患鼻癌的风险增加（SIR 41.1, 95% CI 4.97-148），与工作潜伏期和工作时间呈正相关，患胃癌（SIR 4.98, 95% CI 1.62-11.6）和肺癌（SIR 2.61, 95% CI 0.96-5.67）的风险过高。结论：由于鼻癌和肺癌风险升高仅限于炼油厂，而炼油厂主要暴露于硫酸镍，因此硫酸镍可能是导致呼吸道癌风险升高的主要原因。我们不能排除过度的胃癌风险是偶然发现，还是与工作环境有关。
Objectives: To assess cancer risk among nickel-exposed workers. Methods: We updated cancer incidence among 1388 workers employed for at least 3 months at a copper/nickel smelter and nickel refinery in Harjavalta, Finland. There were 1155 workers exposed to nickel during the period 1960-1985 in the smelter (566 workers), repair shop (239 workers), or refinery (418 workers). Cancer incidence was followed through the files of the Finnish Cancer Registry up to 31 December 1995. For overall cancer and for a priori selected specific cancer types the ratio of observed to expected numbers of cases was computed as a standardized incidence ratio (SIR), controlled for age, gender, and calendar period and using the region-specific rates as a reference. Results: The overall cancer incidence among both nickel-exposed and unexposed subcohorts was at the expected level. A small increase in lung cancer incidence, which reached statistical significance among workers with a latency exceeding 20 years, was observed among the smelter workers exposed to insoluble nickel compounds. Among workers in the refinery, who were exposed primarily to nickel sulfate at levels below 0.5 mg/m(3) as well as to low concentrations of other nickel compounds, there was an increased risk for nasal cancer (SIR 41.1, 95% CI 4.97-148), positively associated with latency and duration of employment, and an excess risk for stomach (SIR 4.98, 95% CI 1.62-11.6) and lung (SIR 2.61, 95% CI 0.96-5.67) cancers. Conclusions: Since elevated nasal and lung cancer risks were confined to the refinery, where the primary exposure was to nickel sulfate, it is likely that nickel sulfate is mainly responsible for the elevated respiratory cancer risk. We cannot rule out whether the excess stomach cancer risk is a chance finding, or related to the working environment.