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Published on: December 21, 2019
Vermiculite worker mortality: estimated effects of occupational exposure to Libby amphibole
Theodore C Larson1, Vinicius C Antao, Frank J Bove
1Division of Health Studies, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA. thl3@cdc.gov
Objective:
To examine the relationship between cumulative fiber exposure (CFE) and mortality in a retrospective cohort study of vermiculite workers exposed to Libby amphibole (n = 1862).
Methods:
Extended Cox regression was used to estimate the hazards associated with CFE as a time-dependent covariate of multiple-cause mortality.
Results:
The Cox models for mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, and non-malignant respiratory disease were significant with rate ratios that increased monotonically with CFE. The model for deaths due to cardiovascular disease was also significant (rate ratio for CFE > or =44.0 f/cc-y vs <1.4 f/cc-y was 1.5; 95% confidence interval = 1.1 to 2.0).
Conclusions:
By using a within-cohort comparison, the results demonstrate a clear exposure-response relationship between CFE and mortality from asbestos-related causes. The finding of an association between CFE and cardiovascular mortality suggests persons exposed to Libby amphibole should be monitored for this outcome.
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