MORTALITY UPDATE OF A COHORT OF U.S. MAN-MADE MINERAL FIBRE WORKERS

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Abstract
This 1978–1982 update of an earlier study examined the 1946–1982 mortality experience of 16 661 man-made mineral fibre workers employed 1 yr or more (6 months for two plants) during 1945–1963 (1940–1963 for one plant) at one or more of 17 U.S. manufacturing plants. Using local death rates to estimate expected deaths there was a statistically significant excess in all malignant neoplasms and in lung cancer 20 yr or more after first employment. For respiratory cancer the excess was greatest for mineral wool workers and workers ever exposed in the production of small diameter fibres. These two groups of workers are believed to have had mean exposures to respirable fibres of around 0.3 Fr cm −3 For glass wool workers and glass filament workers respiratory cancer SMRs were much lower. For these workers, exposures were estimated to be about 1/10 the level for mineral wool and small diameter fibre workers. There were few positive relationships between respiratory cancer SMRs and duration of exposure, time since first exposure or measures of fibre exposure. A smoking survey showed MMMF workers to have cigarette-smoking habits similar to all U.S. white males. In a case-referent study which controlled for smoking there was a statistically significant relationship between fibre exposure and respiratory cancer for mineral wool workers but not for fibrous glass workers.

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