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Mortality among titanium dioxide workers at three DuPont plants
Elizabeth D Ellis1, Janice Watkins, William Tankersley
1Center for Epidemiologic Research, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-0117, USA. betsy.ellis@orau.org
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
|March 2, 2010
Summary
Mortality among titanium dioxide workers showed no excess risk compared to the general US population. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) increased with plant operation length, reflecting a waning healthy worker effect.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Epidemiology
- Industrial Hygiene
Background:
- Titanium dioxide (TiO2) production involves potential occupational exposures.
- Previous studies suggest varying health outcomes for TiO2 workers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess mortality risks in a cohort of US titanium dioxide plant workers.
- To investigate cause-specific mortality in relation to employment duration and plant operation.
Main Methods:
- Expanded and updated a cohort of TiO2 plant workers (employed >= 6 months, 1935-2005).
- Calculated cause-specific standardized mortality ratios (SMRs), stratified by plant.
- Analyzed mortality trends in relation to length of plant operation.
Main Results:
- No overall excess mortality was observed for any cause.
- All-cause and most cause-specific SMRs increased with longer plant operation.
- No elevated SMRs for malignant or non-malignant respiratory diseases were detected.
Conclusions:
- Mortality rates for TiO2 workers are comparable to the general US population.
- Increasing SMRs with employment duration indicate a diminishing healthy worker effect.
- Findings align with other titanium dioxide cohort studies.
