Polysar Synthetic Rubber Workers Mortality Study

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Theme
Organizations
Description of project
Years
Number of records or individuals for the cohort
Main investigator(s)
Project coordination
Project numbers
Publications

Theme

Occupation – Polysar Workers

Organization(s)

McMaster University^a,b
University of Alabama^b,c,d

Description of project

The purpose of this study was to examine risk factors and the mortality experience of Polysar employees in Sarnia , Ontario and to determine if there was health risks associated with exposure to chemicals or processes used in the production of synthetic rubber. Of particular interest was the mortality and cancer incidence for workers in styrene-butadene polymer production. The cohort file and mortality were subsequently updated. The updated study was the Canadian portion of a combined North American study of synthetic workers sponsored by the U.S. Health Effects Institute. This institute provided scientific information on the health effects of pollutants from motor vehicles and other sources in the environment.

Years

Death years:
1950 – 1987^a and in Ontario 1943 – 1949¹
1950 – 1992^b
1950 – 1998^c and in Ontario 1943 – 1949^c
1950 – 2002^d

Number of records or individuals for the cohort

6,105 men^a
6,301 men^b
6,298 men^c
Approximately 2,600 women^d

Main investigator(s)

Dr. David Muir,^a,b, Ni Jadon^b and Jim Julian,^b McMaster University
Dr. Elizabeth Delzell^b,c,d and Dr. Nalini Sathiakumar,^c,d University of Alabama

Project coordination

Martha Fair^a Maureen Carpenter^b and Hélène Aylwin,^c,d Occupational and Environmental Health Research Section, Health Statistics Division, Statistics Canada

Project number(s)

1989-021;^a 1993-017;^b 2000-018;^c 2004-013^d

Publications

Cole P, Delzell E, Acquavella J. Exposure to butadiene and lymphatic and hematopoietic cancer. Epidemiology 1993; 4(2): 96-103.

Delzell E, Sathiakumar N, Hovinga M, Macaluso M, Julian J, Larson R, Cole P, Muir DC. A follow-up study of synthetic rubber workers. Toxicology 1996; 113(1-3): 182-189.

Macaluso M, Larson R, Delzell E, Sathiakumar N, Hoving M, Julian J, Muir D, Cole P. Leukemia and cumulative exposure to butadiene, styrene and benzene among workers in the synthetic rubber industry. Toxicology 1996; 113(1-3): 190-202.

Sathiakumar N , Delzell E, Hovinga M, Macaluso M, Julian JA, Larson R, Cole P, Muir DC. Mortality from cancer and other causes of death among synthetic rubber workers. Occupational and Environmental Medicine 1998; 55(4): 230-235.

Delzell E, Macaluso M, Sathiakumar N, Matthews R. Leukemia and exposure to 1,3 butadiene, styrene and dimethyldithiocarbamate among workers in the synthetic rubber industry. Chemico – Biological Interactions 2001; 135-136: 515-534.

Macaluso M, Larson R, Lynch J, Lipton S, Delzell E. Historical estimation of exposure to 1,3-butadiene, styrene, and dimethyldithiocarbamate among synthetic rubber workers. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene 2004; 1(6): 371-390.

Sathiakumar N, Graff J, Macaluso M, Maldonado G, Matthews R, Delzell E. An updated study of mortality among North American synthetic rubber industry workers. Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2005 62(12): 822-829.

Graff J, Sathiakumar N, Macaluso M, Maldonado G, Matthews R, Delzell E. Chemical exposures in the synthetic rubber industry and lymphohematopoietic cancer mortality. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2005; 47(9): 916-932.