Exposure to nickel compounds and smoking in relation to incidence of lung and nasal cancer among nickel refinery workers.

Abstract

Objectives-To investigate the relation between occupational hazards among nickel refinery workers and their exposure to different forms of nickel over time and the interaction between smoking and total exposure to nickel. Methods-The cohort consisted of 379 workers with first employment and at least three years of employment and 4385 workers with at least one year of employment 1946-83. Data on smoking (ever or never) were available for almost 95% of the cohort. Two analyses were used, indirect standardisation from observed and expected numbers and Poisson regression. Results-During the follow up 1953-93, 203 new cases of lung cancer were observed v 68 expected (standardised incidence ratio (SIR) 3*0, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 2.6-3.4) and 32 cases of nasal cancer were observed v 1-8 expected (SIR 18-0, 95% CI 12-25). The Poisson regression analysis showed an excess risk of lung cancer in association with exposure to soluble forms of nickel, with a threefold increase in relative risk (RR) (P < 0.001) and a multiplicative effect of smoking and exposure to nickel. The RRs were 1 1 (95% CI 0.2-5.1) for exposed workers who had never smoked and 5-1 (95% CI 13-20-5) for exposed workers who smoked. Conclusion-It is not possible to state with certainty which specific nickel compounds are carcinogenic, but a significant excess risk was found for workers exposed to soluble nickel alone or in combination with other forms of nickel. The present study suggests a multiplicative effect of smoking and nickel exposure. (Occup Environ Med 1996;53:708-713)

Occupation and cancer – follow-up of 15 million people in five Nordic countries

“…In the present study, nickel process workers are included in the broad group of smelting workers. An elevated SIR was seen in Norway where an important nickel refinery is located [80].…”

“…From the point of view of work place exposures, some of the occupational categories are heterogeneous and may therefore hide occupational risks. For example, nickel smelting workers, who are known to have about a 30-fold excess risk of nasal cancer [80], are here grouped together with other occupations in the category of smelters and metal foundry workers, and the SIR for nasal cancer in this broad group was only 1.20 (95% CI 0.93Á1.53; Table 30). Still, a major part of the known associations between occupations and specific cancer diseases was seen in the present study.…”

Respiratory carcinogenicity assessment of soluble nickel compounds.

“…Moreover, there is no consistent dose response with increasing concentrations of soluble nickel (1). A recent update of one of these cohorts has indicated a synergistic response between exposure to nickel compounds and cigarette smoking in the induction of lung tumors (10). A study of nickel platers exposed to predominantly soluble nickel compounds (no sulfidic or oxidic nickel exposures) did not show increased respiratory cancer risks (12).…”

A rapid assessment of the impact of hazard reduction burning around Sydney, May 2016

“…They noted that nickel is a human carcinogen (lung and nasal sinus) and referred to an EPA unit risk estimate of 2.4-4.8 x 10 -4 , depending on nickel compounds. The Working Group used data on cumulative exposure to nickel in Norwegian refinery workers (Andersen et al, 1996) as the basis for a transformation to a unit risk for environmental exposure of 3.8 x 10 -4 , corresponding to the excess lifetime lung cancer risk of 10 -5 at 25 ng/m 3 . It is unclear how this calculation was performed.…”