Skip to main content
PMC home page
British Journal of Industrial Medicine logoLink to British Journal of Industrial Medicine
. 1977 Feb;34(1):1–10. doi: 10.1136/oem.34.1.1

Mortality experience of workers exposed to vinyl chloride monomer in the manufacture of polyvinyl chloride in Great Britain.

A J Fox, P F Collier
PMCID: PMC1008165  PMID: 557328

Abstract

Identification particulars were obtained for over 7000 men who were at some time between 1940 and 1974 exposed to vinyl chloride monomer in the manufacture of polyvinyl chloride. Approximately 99% of these men have been traced and their mortality experience studied. The overall standardised mortality ratio, 75-4, shows a significant reduction compared with the national rates. Four cases of liver cancer were found. Two of these have been confirmed by a panel of liver pathologists as angiosarcoma and two as not angiosarcoma. There is no evidence to support the hypothesis that cancers other than those of the liver are associated with exposure to vinyl chloride monomer. The two cases of angiosarcoma were found in men who had been exposed to high concentrations of the monomer although the second man died only eight years after first exposure. The industry in Great Britain has expanded considerably since the second world war with over 50% of men having entered with the last decade. Conclusions drawn about the effect of vinyl chloride monomer on the mortality experience of men in this industry must consequently be tempered by the reservation that the full impact may not yet be in evidence.

Full text

PDF
1

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Baxter P. J. Epidemiological studies of PVC manufacturers and fabricators, and primary angiosarcoma of the liver. Proc R Soc Med. 1976 Apr;69(4):297–299. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Baxter P. J., Fox A. J. Letter: Angiosarcoma of the liver as the certified cause of death 1963-73. Lancet. 1975 Jul 5;2(7923):27–28. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(75)92966-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Block J. B. Angiosarcoma of the liver following vinyl chloride exposure. JAMA. 1974 Jul 1;229(1):53–54. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Creech J. L., Jr, Johnson M. N. Angiosarcoma of liver in the manufacture of polyvinyl chloride. J Occup Med. 1974 Mar;16(3):150–151. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Falk H., Creech J. L., Jr, Heath C. W., Jr, Johnson M. N., Key M. M. Hepatic disease among workers at a vinyl chloride polymerization plant. JAMA. 1974 Oct 7;230(1):59–63. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Fox A. J., Collier P. F. Low mortality rates in industrial cohort studies due to selection for work and survival in the industry. Br J Prev Soc Med. 1976 Dec;30(4):225–230. doi: 10.1136/jech.30.4.225. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Lee F. I., Harry D. S. Angiosarcoma of the liver in a vinyl-chloride worker. Lancet. 1974 Jun 29;1(7870):1316–1318. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(74)90683-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Lloyd J. W. Angiosarcoma of the liver in vinyl chloride/polyvinyl chloride workers. J Occup Med. 1975 May;17(5):333–334. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Macmahon H. E., Murphy A. S., Bates M. I. Endothelial-Cell Sarcoma of Liver Following Thorotrast Injections. Am J Pathol. 1947 Jul;23(4):585–611. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Makk L., Creech J. L., Whelan J. G., Jr, Johnson M. N. Liver damage and angiosarcoma in vinyl chloride workers. A systematic detection program. JAMA. 1974 Oct 7;230(1):64–68. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Maltoni C., Lefemine G. Carcinogenicity bioassays of vinyl chloride: current results. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1975 Jan 31;246:195–218. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1975.tb51094.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Monson R. R., Peters J. M., Johnson M. N. Proportional mortality among vinyl-chloride workers. Lancet. 1974 Aug 17;2(7877):397–398. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(74)91771-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Nicholson W. J., Hammond E. C., Seidman H., Selikoff I. J. Mortality experience of a cohort of vinyl chloride-polyvinyl chloride workers. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1975 Jan 31;246:225–230. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1975.tb51096.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Regelson W., Kim U., Ospina J., Holland J. F. Hemangioendothelial sarcoma of liver from chronic arsenic intoxication by Fowler's solution. Cancer. 1968 Mar;21(3):514–522. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(196803)21:3<514::aid-cncr2820210323>3.0.co;2-z. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Tabershaw I. R., Gaffey W. R. Mortality study of workers in the manufacture of vinyl chloride and its polymers. J Occup Med. 1974 Aug;16(8):509–518. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Industrial Medicine are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES