ILO Home
Go to the home page
Site map | Contact us Français | Español

CISDOC database

Document ID (ISN)101756
CIS number 03-669
ISSN - Serial title 0007-9952 - Cahiers de notes documentaires - Hygiène et sécurité du travail
Year 2000
Convention or series no. INRS ND 2136-181-00
Author(s) Moulin J.J., Clavel T., Buclez B., Laffite-Rigaud G.
Title A mortality study among workers in a French aluminium production plant
Original title Etude de mortalité parmi les salariés d'une usine de production d'aluminium en France [in French]
Bibliographic information 4th Quarter 2000, No.181, p.5-13. 42 ref.
Internet access http://www.inrs.fr/htm/etude_mortalite_parmi_salaries_usine_production.html [in French]
Abstract The aim of this study was to establish the possible existence of a relationship between bronchopulmonary cancer and exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the aluminium industry. The historical cohort consisted of all 2133 male workers who had been employed for at least a year between 1950 and 1994 in the same plant of a French aluminium producer. Mortality was followed for the period between 1968 and 1994, during which 335 deaths were registered. Causes of death were obtained from death certificates. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were computed using regional mortality rates as external reference. The observed mortality was lower than expected for all causes of death (SMR=0.81) and for lung cancer (SMR=0.63). No lung cancer excess was observed in workshops where PAH exposure was likely to have occurred, and no trend was observed according to duration of exposure and time since first exposure. This low lung cancer mortality may be partly explained by a pronounced healthy worker effect. Translation into French of an article that appeared originally in International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health.
Descriptors (primary) aluminium industry; polycyclic hydrocarbons; mortality; aromatic hydrocarbons
Descriptors (secondary) healthy worker effect; bronchial cancer; lung cancer; frequency rates; long-term study; length of exposure; cohort study
Document type D - Periodical articles
Country / State or ProvinceFrance
Subject(s) Metal production and metalworking
Broad subject area(s) Industries and occupations
Browse category(ies) Smelting and refining operations
Polycyclic hydrocarbons
Aromatic hydrocarbons