Mortality among employees of PVC fabricators

Abstract

A cross-sectional mortality study of 4,341 deaths occurring among current and former employees of 17 PVC fabricators during 1964-1973 is presented. The objectives are: (1) to identify any angiosarcoma deaths among the employees of these fabricators, and (2) to examine the distribution of deaths by cause. No angiosarcoma deaths were found among the study group. Sex-race-cause-specific Proportionate mortality Ratios (PMR's) were computed, using the corresponding U.S. mortality as the standard. Among white employees, there appears to be an excess in total cancer mortality, particularly that of the digestive system. Observed deaths were found to exceed the expected in cancers of the breast and urinary organs among white females. Deficit mortality was observed in cirrhosis of liver among both male and female white employees.