[An increased mortality from lung cancer among workers of a bright electroplating factory]

to evaluate cancer mortality especially from lung tumours, in a cohort of workers of a bright electroplating factory, an industrial activity suspected of increasing the risk of cancer because of exposure to hexavalent chromium. Workers of this and other similar factories have been the target of a health surveillance program in the early '80s.

the cohort members have been selected from the roster of employees as workers or technical clerks with at least 6 month of presence between the beginning of the activity (January 1968) until December 1994. Vital status has been updated to December 2003. The mortality rates of both the Italian and regional population have been used as standards.

mortality from lung cancer was strongly increased among workers (based on 7 deaths among males, and one among females). Among males, lung cancer mortality was stratified by duration of work, latency and period of entry: the excess is evident in all categories and appeared higher among the workers recruited in more recent years.

we suggest that the results are in agreement with the hypothesis of an occupational exposure to a carcinogenic hazard, as observed in other studies, and correlates with the increase of chromosomal aberrations observed in the past among these workers. This type of industrial activity deserves more epidemiological studies and close attention on the side of industrial hygiene.