Lung cancer in filling station attendants

At the Danish census on 9 November 1970, 4,055 men and 1,195 women aged 20-64 years indicated an employment that was coded as retail sale of oil and gasoline; almost all individuals probably worked as filling station attendants. Record linkage at Danmarks Statistik showed that 529 of the men had died during the following 17 years. Respiratory cancer (75 deaths) was the only cause of death that showed a significant excess (standardized mortality ration, 1.58; 95% confidence interval, 1.25-2.00) when compared to all men gainfully employed at the time of the census. An increased mortality due to cardiovascular disease could not be related to any particular diagnostic subgroup; the mortality in women did not differ from expected rates. These results are in accordance with data from other countries on occupational groups exposed to high levels of exhaust fumes.