Mortality patterns among workers in three Texas oil refineries

Abstract

The cause-specific mortality experience of 2,509 active and retired members of the Oil, Chemical, and Atomic Workers International Union (OCAW) who worked at three oil refineries in the Beaumont/Port Arthur area of Texas was examined to determine whether there might be unusual patterns of fatal disease related to workplace exposures. Deaths that occurred between 1943 and 1979 were identified from membership records of the OCAW headquarters in Denver and from the records of union locals in Texas which represent workers at the three refineries. Death certificates were obtained from state vital records offices for the decedents. Cause-specific Proportionate Mortality Ratios (PMRs) were calculated using the mortality experience of the U.S. general population as a standard. Excess mortality from stomach cancer occurred among active union members who worked at Refinery A and among active and retired members who worked at Refineries B and C. PMRs for leukemia, multiple myeloma, and other lymphomas were elevated, especially among retired workers. Relative frequencies of brain tumor deaths were significantly elevated among active members at all three refineries and slightly elevated among retirees at Refineries A and C. Findings suggest that oil refinery workers may have elevated risks of these cancers and indicate that more definitive studies are necessary.