Rubber industry epidemiology

Well-done epidemiologic studies are essential to assess a possible relationship between occupational exposures and health effects from these exposures. Rubber industry workers are potentially exposed to several carcinogens, including aromatic amines, nitrosamines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, solvents, and asbestos. Occupational exposures also may contribute to accelerated cardiovascular disease, pulmonary function abnormalities, hypertension, deterioration of intellectual and psychomotor function, nervous system dysfunction, and chromosomal abnormalities. This chapter summarizes several epidemiologic studies involving rubber industry workers, separating the studies by disease categories. Many of the studies investigated the industry's overall mortality; others looked at only one specific health effect. This chapter does not attempt to account for the different and often conflicting results seen among these investigations. However, it is important that the reader realize that such differences do exist. They emphasize the need for more epidemiologic studies looking at health effects of occupational exposures in the rubber industry.