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Mortality Among Hardmetal Production Workers: Swedish Measurement Data and Exposure Assessment
Håkan Westberg1, Ing-Liss Bryngelsson, Gary Marsh
1Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Science, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden (Dr Westberg, Bryngelsson); Center for Occupational Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Department of Biostatistics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Dr Marsh, Dr Buchanich, Zimmerman); Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (Drs Kennedy, Esmen); and Department of Medical Science, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden (Dr Svartengren).
Background:
Mortality pattern was determined in a cohort of 16,999 white and blue-collar workers in the Swedish hardmetal industry. Exposure assessment for cobalt is presented.
Methods:
A historical database (1970 to 2012) of personal and area measurements of cobalt, tungsten, and nickel in the Swedish hardmetal industry was created. Log linear and exponential modeling of cobalt concentrations based on time period, job, and site was performed, and cumulative and mean exposures were calculated.
Results:
Some 37% of the personal cobalt measurements exceeded 0.02 mg/m, mostly for powder production, pressing, and shaping. The log linear regression showed statistical differences (P < 0.05) between sites, time periods, and jobs. Some 1.6% of the cobalt cumulative exposures for blue-collar workers exceeded 0.4 mg/m years.
Conclusion:
Low levels of cumulative and mean exposures were determined.
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