Mortality patterns among workers exposed to chloromethyl ethers--a preliminary report

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Toxicology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Chloromethyl methyl ether (CMME) is a crosslinking agent for ion-exchange resins.
• Commercial CMME contains bischloromethyl ether, a potent animal lung carcinogen.
• Previous reports suggest CMME is a lung carcinogen in chemical workers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate lung cancer mortality among CMME-exposed workers.
• To assess the relationship between exposure intensity, duration, and lung cancer risk.
• To analyze data from six major US chemical companies using CMME.

Main Methods:

• A cohort study of approximately 1800 CMME-exposed workers and 8000 unexposed controls (1948-1972).
• Exposure intensity was graded by job category, adjusted for process changes.
• Death ascertainment via Social Security records and death certificates.

Main Results:

• The age-adjusted respiratory cancer death rate was 2.5 times higher in the CMME-exposed group versus controls.
• Mortality rates for other causes were similar between groups.
• Lung cancer risk showed a clear gradient with exposure intensity, duration, and time since exposure onset.

Conclusions:

• CMME exposure is linked to increased lung cancer mortality in chemical workers.
• The risk is dose-dependent, increasing with higher intensity and longer duration of exposure.
• Findings support the carcinogenicity of CMME in humans, emphasizing occupational safety measures.