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. 2016 Jan;59(1):12-22.
doi: 10.1002/ajim.22542. Epub 2015 Nov 2.

A study update of mortality in workers at a phosphate fertilizer production facility

James H Yiin  1 , Robert D Daniels  1 , Travis L Kubale  1 , Kevin L Dunn  1 , Leslie T Stayner  2
Affiliations

A study update of mortality in workers at a phosphate fertilizer production facility

James H Yiin et al. Am J Ind Med. 2016 Jan.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the mortality experience among 3,199 workers employed 1951-1976 at a phosphate fertilizer production plant in central Florida with follow-up through 2011.

Methods: Cause-specific standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) for the full cohort were calculated with the U.S. population as referent. Lung cancer and leukemia risks were further analyzed using conditional logistic regression.

Results: The mortality due to all-causes (SMR = 1.07, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02-1.13, observed deaths [n] = 1,473), all-cancers (SMR = 1.16, 95%CI 1.06-1.28, n = 431), and a priori outcomes of interests including lung cancer (SMR = 1.32, 95%CI = 1.13-1.53, n = 168) and leukemia (SMR = 1.74, 95%CI = 1.11-2.62, n = 23) were statistically significantly elevated. Regression modeling on employment duration or estimated radiation scores did not show exposure-response relation with lung cancer or leukemia mortality.

Conclusion: SMR results showed increased lung cancer and leukemia mortality in a full cohort of the phosphate fertilizer production facility. There was, however, no exposure-response relation observed among cases and matched controls.

Keywords: exposure-response; leukemia; lung cancer; occupational epidemiology; phosphate fertilizer production; standardized mortality ratios.

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