Mortality among workers in the Finnish pulp and paper industry was evaluated in a retrospective cohort study of 3520 workers who had been employed continuously for at least one year between 1945 and 1961. Six subcohorts were formed according to six work areas: sulphite, sulphate, paper, and board mills, maintenance department, and power plant. National mortality rates were used for comparison. The mortality of a cohort of 1290 sawmill workers was also studied in order to have a socially, geographically, and occupationally similar group without the exposures typical of the pulp and paper industry for comparison. Smoking habits were surveyed. Mortality was followed up until 31 December 1981. Overall mortality for the entire cohort did not differ from that expected (1044 obs, 1029.4 exp, SMR 101), but there was an excess of deaths from diseases of the circulatory system among the men (489 obs, 404.9 exp, SMR 121). This was due to the excess of deaths from ischaemic heart disease found among the men at the sulphite, sulphate, and paper mills, maintenance department, and power plant, but not at the sawmill. The existing smoking data did not explain this finding and it may therefore be associated with occupational exposures.
Notes
Cites: Am J Epidemiol. 1976 Jun;103(6):539-50937339
Cites: Lancet. 1967 Jul 15;2(7507):136-74165646
Cites: Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1976;271:294-3001069517
Cites: J Natl Cancer Inst. 1978 Feb;60(2):295-8621749
Cites: Lancet. 1978 Sep 16;2(8090):626-780546
Cites: Br J Ind Med. 1979 May;36(2):127-34465376
Cites: Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 1980 Feb;45(2):127-407364489
Cites: Chest. 1982 Mar;81(3):285-97056102
Cites: Arch Environ Health. 1982 Sep-Oct;37(5):295-97138080
Cites: Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 1982;51(1):65-717152703
Cites: Br Med J (Clin Res Ed). 1983 Jun 11;286(6381):1857-606407602
Cites: J Occup Med. 1984 Nov;26(11):844-66502289
Cites: Am Ind Hyg Assoc J. 1984 Dec;45(12):787-906517022
Cites: Scand J Work Environ Health. 1986 Dec;12(6):619-263823812