Non-neoplastic mortality of European workers who produce man made vitreousfibres

Objective-To study mortality from nonneoplastic diseases among European wor kers who produce man made vitreous fibres (MMVF). Methods-11 373 male workers were studied, who were employed for at least 1 year in the production of rock or slag wool (RSW), glass wool (GW), and con tinuous filament (CF) in 13 factories from seven European countries. Worker s were followed up from the beginning of production, between 1933 and 1950 to 1990-2 and contributed 256 352 person-years of observation. Standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) were calculated with national mortalities for refe rence; an internal exposure-response analyses based on multivariate Poisson regression models was also conducted. Results-Mortality from bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma was not increased (SMR 1.03, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.82 to 1.28). In RSW workers, there was no overall increase in mortality from non-malignant renal disease s (SMR 0.97, 95% CI 0.36 to 2.11), although there was the suggestion of an increase in risk with duration of employment. Mortality from. ischaemic hea rt disease was not increased overall (SMR 1.03, 95% CI 0.96 to 1.11), but R SW and CF workers with greater than or equal to 30 years since first employ ment had a higher risk. RSW and CF workers showed an increased mortality fi om external causes, mainly motor vehicle accidents and suicide, which was higher among workers with a short duration of employment. Conclusion-Morality from most nonneoplastic diseases does not seen. to be r elated to employment in the MMVF industry. The results on mortality from is chaemic heart disease and nonmalignant renal diseases, however, warrant fur ther investigations.