A mortality study of workers with reported chronic occupational carbon disulfide poisoning

A mortality cohort study was carried out on 2,291 workers, including 169 women, with chronic occupational CS2 poisoning diagnosed during the years 1970-90. Information on vital status was available for 98.2% as of December 31, 1992. Mortality assessment was based on the standardized mortality ratio using the person-years method. The general population of Poland was the reference population. The number of subjects who died during the period of observation accounted for 658 men and 21 women. The analysis of mortality in male subjects showed statistically significant excess of deaths from the circulatory system diseases (SMR = 139), in this from ischaemic heart disease (SMR = 137), cerebrovascular disease (SMR = 188) and colon cancer (SMR = 233). Over a two-fold increased risk of death from diseases of the nervous system and sense organs, although statistically insignificant, was also observed. Among women a statistically significant risk of death from atherosclerosis was noted (SMR = 286). An elevated risk of death from the circulatory system diseases and from ischaemic disease (IHD) agrees with the results of some other cohort studies carried out in the viscose rayon workers. The increased mortality from malignant neoplasms is an unusual finding in cohorts of workers exposed to CS2. Our own data reported here showed a significantly increased mortality from colon cancer (9 cases). All these cases were noted in workers of the two oldest rayon plants and they require a detailed analysis. Further survey is also needed to elucidate the excess of deaths from the nervous system and sense organs diseases.