Mortality among workers in an Italian cigarette factory

A cohort study was conducted to evaluate the mortality pattern among female and male workers in a cigarette factory. The study followed 972 female wor kers and 761 male workers with at least 6 months of cumulative employment f rom 1 January 1962 through 1 July 1996. Among women, mortality from all cau ses of death [standardized mortality ratio (SMR) = 0.9; 95%confidence inter val (CI)= 0.8-1.1] and mortality from all malignant neoplasms (SMR = 1.1; C I = 0.9-1.3) were consistent with reference rates. Male workers had a signi ficantly reduced overall mortality (SMR = 0.8; CI = 0.7-0.9), while mortali ty from all malignant neoplasms was as expected (SMR = 0.9; CI = 0.7-1.0). Among female workers the frequencies of deaths from diseases of nervous sys tem (SMR = 2.0; CI = 1.1-3.4) and from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) (SMR = 2.7; CI = 1.0-5.6) were elevated at a statistically significant level. No a ssociation between duration of employment and diseases of nervous system wa s observed. A higher risk for NHL, based on three deaths, was reported amon g female workers with 15 or more years of employment (SMR = 8.1; CI = 2.2-2 1.0). Although based on small numbers, the excess of NHL here reported sugg ests that potential exposure to foliar residues of pesticides should be tho roughly considered in tobacco manufacturing.