Abstract

The mortality experience of 371 employees assigned to acrylamide monomer and polymerisation operations was examined with particular emphasis on cancers at sites identified from animal studies such as the central nervous system, thyroid gland, other endocrine glands, and mesotheliomas. A total of 29 deaths was observed up until 1982 (38.0 expected). No statistically significant excesses were noted in the total cohort and no deaths were found for the hypothesised sites of cancer. The observed deaths in the total cohort for the all cancers category were somewhat in excess (11 v 7.9); however, this was due entirely to excess cancers of the digestive tract and respiratory system in the subgroup with previous exposure to organic dyes. Among those employees not exposed to organic dyes, four deaths were due to malignancies versus 6.5 expected. This study does not support a cause effect relation between exposure to acrylamide at this work site and overall mortality, total malignant neoplasms, or any specific cancers.