O15.1 MORTALITY AND CANCER INCIDENCE IN ALUMINIUM WORKERS

M. Sim¹, J. Hoving¹, L. Fritschi², D. McKenzie¹, G. Benke¹, A. Del Monaco¹, E. MacFarlane¹, N. deKlerk³, A. W. Musk⁴.¹Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Australia; ²School of Population Health, University of Western Australia; ³Centre for Child Health Research, University of Western Australia, ⁴Dept of Respiratory Medicine, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Western Australia

Introduction: Previous studies in the aluminium industry have found excess rates of lung and bladder cancer in workers in smelters using the Soderberg process. We report findings on a cohort study of workers in several different sectors of the aluminium industry, namely bauxite mining, alumina refining, and pre-bake smelting.

Methods: The cohort comprised 11 446 employees, employed for at least 3 months between 1 January 1983 and 31 December 2002. These workers were matched against the Australian national death and cancer registries for cause of death and occurrence and type of cancer. Expected numbers of deaths and cancers were calculated from national population rates.

Results: Overall mortality in males was significantly reduced with an standardised mortality ratio (SMR) of 74 (95% confidence interval (CI) 68 to 81) and similarly reduced for all major categories of death, including respiratory disease, circulatory disease, cancer and injury. Cancer incidence in males was significantly reduced with a standardised incidence ratio (SIR) of 91 (95% CI 83 to 99). There were higher than expected rates of kidney cancer (SIR 198; 95% CI 117 to 335), stomach cancer (195; 115 to 329), and mesothelioma (241; 100 to 578) in a combined group of smelting, rolling mill, and powerhouse workers. In workers involved in bauxite mining and alumina refining, there were elevated rates of melanoma (130; 100 to 168) …