Table 2

SMRs, 95% CI, observed deaths (OBS), and expected deaths (EXP), for selected causes of death by peak benzene exposure category

Number of days with peak exposure over 100 ppm
None<77–40>40
Cause of death (IDC8 code)SMR (95% CI)OBS/EXPSMR (95% CI)OBS/EXPSMR (95% CI)OBS/EXPSMR (95% CI)OBS/EXP
All deaths (000–999)1.0 (1.0 to 1.0)1951/1943.71.2 (1.0 to 1.4)117/98.51.0 (0.9 to 1.2)161/160.61.0 (0.9 to 1.1)202/202.1
All cancer (140–209)1.1 (1.0 to 1.2)508/465.71.3 (0.9 to 1.8)30/23.81.2 (0.8 to 1.5)46/39.81.2 (0.9 to 1.5)61/51.2
Lung cancer (162)1.2 (1.1 to 1.4)186/152.11.8 (1.0 to 3.0)15/8.11.2 (0.8 to 1.5)23/13.51.6 (1.1 to 2.3)28/17.6
Central nervous system cancer (191–192)1.6 (0.9 to 2.6)16/10.11.8 (0.0 to 10.2)1/0.61.0 (0.0 to 5.8)1/1.00.8 (0.0 to 4.7)1/1.2
Hodgkin’s disease (201)0.7 (0.1 to 2.4)2/3.00.0 (0.0 to 22.8)0/0.20.0 (0.0 to 14.50/0.30.0 (0.0 to 13.1)0/0.3
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (200, 202)1.4 (0.9 to 2.2)20/14.31.3 (0.0 to 7.4)1/0.80.7 (0.0 to 4.2)1/1.31.8 (0.4 to 5.1)3/1.7
Multiple myeloma (203)1.2 (0.6 to 2.4)9/7.20.0 (0.0 to 10.2)0/0.41.7 (0.0 to 9.4)1/0.64.0 (0.8 to 11.7)3/0.8
Leukaemia (204–207)1.0 (0.5 to 1.6)15/15.61.2 (0.0 to 6.8)1/0.80.7 (0.0 to 4.0)1/1.42.7 (0.8 to 6.4)5/1.8
    Chronic lymphatic (204.1)0.9 (0.2 to 2.5)3/3.50.0 (0.0 to 20.6)0/0.20.0 (0.0 to 12.2)0/0.32.5 (0.0 to 13.8)1/0.3
    Acute non-lymphatic (205.0–206.0)1.3 (0.4 to 3.0)5/3.90.0 (0.0 to 10.2)0/0.20.0 (0.0 to 10.4)0/0.44.1 (0.5 to 14.9)2/0.5
Benign neoplasms of brain, eye and CNS (224, 225, 238, 743.4)0.4 (0.0 to 2.0)1/2.790.0 (0.0 to 26.1)0/0.10.0 (0.0 to 14.1)0/0.30.0 (0.0 to 11.2)0/0.3
All heart disease (390–398, 400.1, 400.9, 402, 404, 410–414, 420–429)0.9 (0.9 to 1.0)709/772.31.2 (0.9 to 1.6)46/39.40.8 (0.6 to 1.1)52/63.71.0 (0.8 to 1.2)79/82.7
Death certificates not obtained27000
Persons at risk4417898690339
Person-years12900069911159311448