CANCER MORTALITY IN WORKERS EMPLOYED AT A TRANSFORMER MANUFACTURING PLANT

This study examined mortality to December 31, 1989 in a cohort of 2,22 2 males employed between 1947 and 1975 at a transformer manufacturing plant in Canada, where there had been extensive use of transformer flu id, some containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). A combined cohor t list of 2,222 names was independently obtained from plant management and union officials. Mortality of 1,939 workers with known birthdates was ascertained by record linkage with the Canadian Mortality Databas e. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) for different criteria for acc eptance of the death certificate link and for cohort membership (based on work history) ranged from .71-.05. There was no significant increa se in overall cancer deaths. The only significant site-specific increa sed mortality was pancreatic cancer(ll deaths), with SMRs ranging from 2.92-7.64 and higher mortality risk in those who entered the cohort p rior to 1960. All but one of these deaths had a latency period of at l east 10 years, and greatest SMRs were found in departments with the gr eatest exposure to transformer fluid. Several previous studies have fo und excess pancreatic cancers in association with oil exposures and el ectrical equipment manufacturing. The need to further investigate panc reatic cancer in transformer manufacturing and related exposures is ev ident. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.