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Occupational and environmental risks of spontaneous abortions around a smelter
Marianne Wulff1, Ulf Högberg, Hans Stenlund
1Department of Epidemiology, Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Sweden. marianne.wulff@epiph.umu.se
Background:
This study represents part of a follow-up study on reproductive outcome around a smelter in Sweden.
Methods:
Employees at the smelter, a random sample including neighbors of the smelter and referents were analyzed by a register study, covering 1982-1990, a questionnaire study performed in 1992 and a case-referent study with cases of spontaneous abortions and live borns as referents. Risk factors were studied by logistic regression. A validity-study between register and questionnaire data on spontaneous abortions and legal abortions was completed.
Results:
The studies showed no risk increase for the exposed groups of smelter workers and neighbors compared to the reference group, 10, 11, and 12%, respectively. A validation of the data on abortions between register and questionnaire data showed good agreement.
Conclusions:
We found no increase of spontaneous abortion associated to smelter work or to living close to the smelter which could be a result of radically reduced emissions.