TY - JOUR
T1 - Cancer mortality among European asphalt workers
T2 - An international epidemiological study. II. Exposure to bitumen fume and other agents
AU - Boffetta, Paolo
AU - Burstyn, Igor
AU - Partanen, Timo
AU - Kromhout, Hans
AU - Svane, Ole
AU - Langård, Sverre
AU - Järvholm, Beng
AU - Frentzel-Beyme, Rainer
AU - Kauppinen, Timo
AU - Stücker, Isabelle
AU - Shaham, Judith
AU - Heederik, Dick
AU - Ahrens, Wolfgang
AU - Bergdahl, Ingvar A.
AU - Cenée, Sylvie
AU - Ferro, Gilles
AU - Heikkilä, Pirjo
AU - Hooiveld, Mariëtte
AU - Johansen, Christoffer
AU - Randem, Britt G.
AU - Schill, Walter
PY - 2003/1/1
Y1 - 2003/1/1
N2 - Background An increased risk of lung cancers among asphalt workers has been suggested in epidemiological studies based on large scale statistical analyses. Methods In a multi-country study of 29,820 male workers employed in road paving, asphalt mixing and roofing, 32,245 ground and building construction workers and 17,757 other workers from Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden, with mortality that was documented from 1953-2000. Exposures to bitumen fume, coal tar, 4-6 ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, organic vapor, diesel exhaust, asbestos, and silica dust were assessed via a job-exposure matrix. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) based on national mortality rates, as well as relative risks (RRs) based on Poisson regression models were calculated. Results The SMR of lung cancer among workers exposed to bitumen fume (1.08, 95% CI 0.99-1.18) was comparable to that of non-exposed workers (SMR 1.05, 95% CI 0.92-1.19). In a sub-cohort of bitumen-exposed workers without exposure to coal tar, the SMR of lung cancer was 1.23 (95% CI 1.02-1.48). The analysis based on the semi-quantitative, matrix-based exposures in the whole cohort did not suggest an increased lung cancer risk following exposure to bitumen fume. However, in an analysis restricted to road pavers, based on quantitative estimate of bitumen fume exposure, a dose-response was suggested for average level of exposure, applying a 15-year lag, which was marginally reduced after adjustment for co-exposure to coal tar. The results for cancer of the head and neck were similar to those of lung cancer, although they were based on a smaller number of deaths. There was no clear suggestion of an association with bitumen fume for any other neoplasm. Conclusions The results of the analysis by bitumen fume exposure do not allow us to conclude on the presence or absence of a causal link between exposure to bitumen fume and risk of cancer of the lung and the head and neck.
AB - Background An increased risk of lung cancers among asphalt workers has been suggested in epidemiological studies based on large scale statistical analyses. Methods In a multi-country study of 29,820 male workers employed in road paving, asphalt mixing and roofing, 32,245 ground and building construction workers and 17,757 other workers from Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden, with mortality that was documented from 1953-2000. Exposures to bitumen fume, coal tar, 4-6 ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, organic vapor, diesel exhaust, asbestos, and silica dust were assessed via a job-exposure matrix. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) based on national mortality rates, as well as relative risks (RRs) based on Poisson regression models were calculated. Results The SMR of lung cancer among workers exposed to bitumen fume (1.08, 95% CI 0.99-1.18) was comparable to that of non-exposed workers (SMR 1.05, 95% CI 0.92-1.19). In a sub-cohort of bitumen-exposed workers without exposure to coal tar, the SMR of lung cancer was 1.23 (95% CI 1.02-1.48). The analysis based on the semi-quantitative, matrix-based exposures in the whole cohort did not suggest an increased lung cancer risk following exposure to bitumen fume. However, in an analysis restricted to road pavers, based on quantitative estimate of bitumen fume exposure, a dose-response was suggested for average level of exposure, applying a 15-year lag, which was marginally reduced after adjustment for co-exposure to coal tar. The results for cancer of the head and neck were similar to those of lung cancer, although they were based on a smaller number of deaths. There was no clear suggestion of an association with bitumen fume for any other neoplasm. Conclusions The results of the analysis by bitumen fume exposure do not allow us to conclude on the presence or absence of a causal link between exposure to bitumen fume and risk of cancer of the lung and the head and neck.
KW - Asphalt
KW - Bitumen fume
KW - Coal tar
KW - Epidemiology
KW - Lung Neoplasms
KW - Mortality
KW - Road paving
KW - Roofing
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0037224569&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/ajim.10182
DO - 10.1002/ajim.10182
M3 - Article
C2 - 12494419
AN - SCOPUS:0037224569
SN - 0271-3586
VL - 43
SP - 28
EP - 39
JO - American Journal of Industrial Medicine
JF - American Journal of Industrial Medicine
IS - 1
ER -