MORTALITY IN EMPLOYEES OF A SCOTTISH PAPER-MILL

To assess possible health risks associated with the manufacture of pap er we carried out a retrospective analysis of mortality among 4,242 me n and women employed at a Scottish paper mill between 1955 and 1992. D uring follow-up to 1994, 959 subjects had died giving an SMR of 0.85 ( 95% CI 0.80-0.90) in comparison with the national population. Mortalit y from all cancer (SMR 0.77, 95% CI 0.68-0.88) and particularly from l ung cancer (SMR 0.64, 95% CI 0.50-0.81) was lower than expected. An ex cess of lymphatic and hematopoietic cancer (11 deaths, SMR 2.17) was o bserved in the making department. These findings do not support an occ upational hazard of lung cancer as suggested by several earlier studie s. The excess of lymphatic and hematopoietic cancer in the making depa rtment was unexpected, and may be a chance occurrence. (C) 1997 Wiley- Liss, Inc.