Abstract

ABSTRACT Because short-term bacterial tests have previously shown that about one-third of substituted anthraquinones tested are capable of causing reverse mutation, and two-year feeding studies of three such dyestuffs in rats have shown an excess of hepatocellular carcinomas, a retrospective cohort mortality study was carried out on a population of 1975 male workers employed in a dyestuffs manufacturing plant in Scotland. The population was identified as having worked for more than six months within the factory during the decade 1 January 1956-31 December 1965, and their mortality experience was followed up to 30 June 1980. Age-standardised mortality rates did not show any excess in total or cancer-related mortality.