MORTALITY AMONG FIRE FIGHTERS IN METROPOLITAN TORONTO

Fire fighters are exposed to substances which are recognized or suspec ted causal agents in cancer or heart disease. The purpose of this stud y was to determine whether or not fire fighters experience increased r isk for any specific cause of death. A retrospective cohort study was conducted, with 5,995 subjects recruited from all six fire departments within Metropolitan Toronto. The mortality experience of the cohort w as ascertained through computerized record linkage and compared to tha t of the male Ontario population specific to cause, age, and calendar period from 1950 through 1989. Average duration of follow-up was 21 ye ars, and there were 777 deaths among the 5,414 males included in the a nalysis, giving an all-cause standardized mortality ratio of 95 (95% c onfidence interval: 88-102). Three specific causes of death exhibit st atistically significant excesses (brain tumors, ''other'' malignant ne oplasms, and aortic aneurysms). There are also slight increases in ris k for some other sites of cancer, and for various diseases of the resp iratory, circulatory, and digestive systems. This study is consistent with others in demonstrating that fire fighters experience increased r isk of death from cancer of the brain, and in suggesting increased ris k for various other causes of death. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.