Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by WALL, S.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by WALL, S.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 1980 Oxford University Press

research-article

Survival and Mortality Pattern Among Swedish Smelter Workers

STIG WALL

Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Umeå S–901 85 Umeå, Sweden

Wall, S [Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Umea, Sweden]. Survival and mortality pattern among Swedish smelter workers. International Journal of Epidemiology 1980, 9: 73–87.

This study analyses work history and mortality data for 3919 male workers first employed during 1928–66 at Ronnskflrsverken, a copper smelter in north-east Sweden. 99% of the workers were traced from employment records and central population registers. By means of standardized mortality ratios and life-table analysis comparisons were made with both the general and local populations. For all causes excess mortality is 18% relative to the general population. This can be ascribed to tumours and circulatory diseases, for which excess figures are 39 and 32% respectively. For tumours, the excess mortality is mainly due to lung cancer for which the risk is trebled relative to the general population and 5-fold relative to local populations. For circulatory diseases, the excess figure is mainly accounted for by cerebrovascular disease with an elevated risk of 60–70%. The probable remaining life-time from 50 years is 2 years shorter than for Swedish men in the 60's. Internal comparisons were made to analyse the importance of latency, exposure, calendar time and place of work. A dose-response analysis clearly indicates that the roasters and arsenic departments are risk places for the development of cancer, especially lung cancer. A 50-year old worker who has been exposed to the roasters for more than 5 years, has a probable remaining life-time which is almost 3 years shorter than the average Ronnskflr employee and almost 5 years shorter than the average Swedish male. Case-control studies aimed at exploring exposure associated with stomach cancer and cerebrovascular mortality are under way.

Received 18 June 1979


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Toxicol PatholHome page
P. B. Tchounwou, A. K. Patlolla, and J. A. Centeno
Invited Reviews: Carcinogenic and Systemic Health Effects Associated with Arsenic Exposure--A Critical Review
Toxicol Pathol, October 1, 2003; 31(6): 575 - 588.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.