MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY OF WORKERS EXPOSED TO ACRYLONITRILE IN FIBER PRODUCTION

This study assessed the risk of cancer mortality and incidence among 2 559 employees exposed to acrylonitrile in the production of Orlon(R) a t 2 plants in 1944-1991. Latency, duration of exposure, highest level of exposure ever experienced, and cumulative exposure were used as ind icators of exposure. The average duration of exposure for the workers was 7.6 years with an average cumulative exposure of 57.6 ppm-years. O verall mortality was lower than expected in a comparison with the Unit ed States population and all DuPont employees [454 deaths, standardize d mortality ratios (SMR) of 69 and 91, respectively)]. AU the cancer d eath ratios were lower than expected in a similar comparison. The SMR values for specific sites did not differ significantly from the expect ed values. Mortality from all cancers and from prostate, respiratory, and digestive cancer did not show any significantly associated increas es or a consistent pattern suggestive of a dose-response. The cancer m orbidity patterns were similarly unremarkable.