Assessment of Exposure in an International Study on Cancer Risks Among Pulp, Paper, and Paper Product Workers

Kauppinen, Timo; Teschke, Kay; Astrakianakis, George; Boffetta, Paolo; Colin, Didier; Keefe, Anya; Korhonen, Kari; Liukkonen, Tuula; Nicol, Anne‐Marie; Pannett, Brian; Westberg, Håkan

doi:10.1080/15428110208984711

Cited by 20 publications

(16 citation statements)

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“…The assessment was based on over 31,000 industrial hygiene measurements, company questionnaires, and the experience of the assessment team. A description of this matrix and a summary of exposure estimates have been published elsewhere (Kauppinen et al 2002).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Occupational exposure to chemical agents in the paper industry

Korhonen

Liukkonen

Ahrens

et al. 2004

Int Arch Occup Environ Health

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As part of an International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) international epidemiological study of workers in the pulp and paper industry, previously unpublished exposure measurements were assembled in a database. This article summarizes the results of 3,873 measurements carried out in the production departments of paper and paperboard mills and recycling plants in 12 countries. In the paper and paperboard mills, most of the agents were measured in the pulping and refining departments and in on-machine coating and winding of paper/paperboard. Exposures to asbestos, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, fungal spores, bacteria, nitrogen dioxide, minerals dusts, paper dust, sulphuric acid and different solvents sometimes exceeded exposure limit values. In the re-pulping and de-inking departments of recycling plants high exposures to formaldehyde, fungal spores, bacteria and paper dust were observed. High exposures to asbestos, bioaerosols, carbon monoxide and paper dust were found in many departments; ammonia, formaldehyde, mineral and paper dust and solvents were found in coating machines; and diphenyl and polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) were found in some special circumstances. Measurements in the newsprint and uncoated paper machine departments revealed only a few elevated exposures. In nearly all departments, measurements of epichlorohydrin, PCBs, sulphur dioxide, hydrogen sulphide and mercaptans tended to be low, often even below their detection limits. In spite of some uncertainties in the measurement data, the study provides new insights into the level and variation of occupational exposures of production workers in the paper and paperboard industry.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Occupational exposure to chemical agents in the paper industry

Korhonen

Liukkonen

Ahrens

et al. 2004

Int Arch Occup Environ Health

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“…Several studies have been generated from the international cohort describing occupational exposures in pulp and paper mills and health effects associated to work in this industry. [17][18][19][20] The purpose of the present study was to investigate the risk of death from non-malignant diseases among female pulp and paper workers in Norway, and especially the risk of death from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases related to occupational exposure to paper dust, sulphur, and chlorine compounds.…”

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confidence: 99%

Mortality from non-malignant diseases in a cohort of female pulp and paper workers in Norway

Langseth

Kjærheim

2006

Occup Environ Med

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Objectives: The objective of the present study was to investigate the risk of death from non-malignant diseases in female pulp and paper workers in Norway. Methods: A total of 3143 women first employed between 1920-93 were included in the study cohort. Information about each cohort member was obtained from personnel record files in the mills in order to identify employment periods and job categories. Data on cause and date of death were added by linkage to the Cause of Death Register using unique personal identification numbers. The follow up period was 1951-2000. Standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated using the national female mortality rates as reference. Poisson regression analysis was used to examine internal relations between the duration of employment in paper departments and the risk of death from selected causes. Relative risks (RRs) and 95% CIs were calculated. Results: The study showed a significantly increased risk for total non-malignant mortality (SMR = 1.14, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.24), mainly due to increased mortality from ischaemic heart disease (SMR = 1.22, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.43) and cerebrovascular diseases (SMR = 1.16, 95% CI 0.94 to 1.42). Analysis by department showed the highest risk of death in paper department workers with short term employment. Internal analyses showed a 5% and 9% increase in risk of dying from ischaemic heart disease and respiratory diseases, respectively, among paper department workers exposed to paper dust. The risk decreased with increasing duration of employment. Conclusion: The increased risk of ischaemic heart diseases and respiratory diseases seen among employees of paper departments may be related to exposure to paper dust. F ew studies have addressed mortality from non-malignant diseases among women in industrial jobs. The reason for this may be that women traditionally have been in the minority in these occupational groups, their employment and follow up periods may have been shorter, and they are often assumed to hold less exposed jobs than men. In many countries women entered the workforce later than men did. In Norway the percentage of women working outside the home was less than 30% in 1960, less than 40% in 1980, increasing to almost 70% in 1990.1 Increasing employment in industries where women were largely excluded in the past necessitates studies on female workers mainly because gender differences might cause different disease outcome in men and women. [2][3][4] Worldwide, men have constituted the main part of the workforce in the pulp and paper industry, and most studies have reported results only for men or, in some cases, for both genders merged. 5 The pulp and paper industry is a very old industry in Norway, operating since 1870. Women have through all times constituted approximately one tenth of the workforce among paper workers and the classical workplace has been in paper departments as paper sorters. Many girls started work at a very young age; in 1910 one half of them were aged under 20 years. 6 A n...

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“…In paper production, paper dust and different additives are the major exposures. There is a multitude of chemicals in this industry, including some potential carcinogens (2). Other exposures to consider are noise, heat, microorganisms, and shift work.…”

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confidence: 99%