MORTALITY PATTERN AMONG BIOLOGICAL-RESEARCH LABORATORY WORKERS

A cohort study was conducted to investigate the mortality of individua ls employed by biological research institutes in the UK. The inclusion criteria were met by 12 703 individuals, of whom 95% were traced (11 502 alive, 395 deaths, 246 embarkations). All-cause mortality was sign ificantly reduced in men (standardised) mortality ratio (SMR) 55 and w omen (SMR 52). Mortality was also significantly reduced for circulator y and respiratory diseases, and overall there was low mortality from m alignant neoplasms. SMRs exceeded 100, but were not statistically sign ificant, for infective and parasitic diseases. There were no statistic ally significant raised SMRs for any cancer site. Workers were categor ised as ever worked in a laboratory (laboratory workers) and never wor ked in a laboratory (non-laboratory workers). Thr all-cause SMR was si gnificantly reduced in both groups, as was mortality from circulatory and respiratory diseases. The SMR for malignant neoplams was also sign ificantly reduced in laboratory workers. On the basis of fellow-up to 31 December 1994, there is no evidence of any overall increased risk o f mortality in biological research laboratory workers. However, the po wer of the analysis is limited by the young age of many cohort members and short duration of follow-up. Follow-up is continuing and the data will be reanalysed once more deaths have accumulated.