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. 2006 Apr 6;63(11):726–733. doi: 10.1136/oem.2005.025825

Table 3 Standardised incidence ratio (SIR) of lung cancer and mesotheliomas in 1971–95 by gender and cumulative exposure (CE) to eight organic dusts among economically active Finns born 1906–45.

Agent CE class Lung cancer Mesotheliomas
Men Women Men Women
O SIR 95% CI O SIR 95% CI O SIR 95% CI O SIR 95% CI
Wood dust None (0) 27309 1.00 0.98–1.01 3446 1.00 0.97–1.03 408 1.01 0.91–1.11 135 0.97 0.81–1.14
Low (<3 mg/m3‐year) 936 1.11 1.04–1.18 21 0.92 0.57–1.41 12 0.83 0.43–1.46 4 4.57 1.25–11.7
Medium (3–50 mg/m3‐year) 1784 1.02 0.97–1.06 48 1.03 0.76–1.37 28 0.98 0.65–1.41 4 2.10 0.57–5.37
High (>50 mg/m3‐year) 108 0.85 0.70–1.02 12 0.95 0.49–1.66 2 1.06 0.13–3.84 0 0.00 0.00–7.67
Pulp or paper dust None (0) 29933 1.00 0.99–1.01 3477 1.00 0.97–1.04 449 1.01 0.92–1.11 139 0.99 0.83–1.17
Low (<10 mg/m3‐year) 102 0.82 0.67–1.00 25 0.97 0.62–1.43 0 0.00 0.00–1.42 3 2.97 0.61–8.67
Medium (10–15 mg/m3‐year) 100 0.82 0.66–0.99 23 0.71 0.45–1.07 1 0.43 0.01–2.38 1 0.80 0.02–4.44
High (>15 mg/m3‐year) 2 1.22 0.15–4.42 2 1.08 0.13–3.89 0 0.00 0.00–31.8 0 0.00 0.00–65.2
Flour dust None (0) 29944 1.00 0.99–1.01 3116 1.00 0.97–1.04 448 1.00 0.91–1.10 132 1.03 0.87–1.23
Low (<5 mg/m3‐year) 54 0.86 0.65–1.13 350 0.97 0.87–1.07 0 0.00 0.00–3.13 10 0.78 0.37–1.43
Medium (5–50 mg/m3‐year) 50 0.89 0.66–1.18 17 0.68 0.40–1.10 1 0.83 0.02–4.60 0 0.00 0.00–3.55
High (>50 mg/m3‐year) 89 0.95 0.77–1.18 44 1.20 0.87–1.61 1 0.63 0.02–3.50 1 0.66 0.02–3.66
Plant dust None (0) 23211 1.03 1.02–1.05 2684 1.00 0.97–1.04 409 1.01 0.91–1.11 106 1.00 0.82–1.21
Low (<10 mg/m3‐year) 2555 0.86 0.82–0.89 495 0.99 0.90–1.08 20 0.93 0.57–1.43 20 0.90 0.55–1.39
Medium (10–40 mg/m3‐year) 4340 0.93 0.90–0.96 347 0.98 0.88–1.09 21 0.98 0.60–1.49 17 1.16 0.68–1.86
High (>40 mg/m3‐year) 31 1.06 0.72–1.51 1 0.55 0.01–3.05 0 0.00 0.00–8.50 0 0.00 0.00–50.1
Textile dust None (0) 29867 1.00 0.99–1.01 3288 1.01 0.98–1.05 449 1.01 0.92–1.11 131 0.99 0.83–1.18
Low (<5 mg/m3‐year) 162 1.08 0.92–1.26 95 0.99 0.80–1.21 0 0.00 0.00–1.43 4 1.15 0.31–2.94
Medium (5–20 mg/m3‐year) 82 0.87 0.69–1.08 125 0.79 0.66–0.95 1 0.61 0.02–3.42 4 0.62 0.17–1.59
High (>20 mg/m3‐year) 26 0.66 0.43–0.97 19 0.60 0.36–0.94 0 0.00 0.00–5.24 4 3.18 0.87–8.15
Leather dust None (0) 30069 1.00 0.99–1.01 3511 1.00 0.97–1.04 450 1.00 0.91–1.10 143 1.01 0.85–1.19
Low (<5 mg/m3‐year) 47 0.85 0.62–1.13 12 0.66 0.34–1.15 0 0.00 0.00–4.04 0 0.00 0.00–5.14
Medium (5–20 mg/m3‐year) 20 0.88 0.54–1.36 4 0.90 0.24–2.30 0 0.00 0.00–8.58 0 0.00 0.00–19.4
High (>20 mg/m3‐year) 1 1.00 0.03–5.55 0 0.00 0.00–28.1 0 0.00 0.00–263 0 0.00 0.00–728
Animal dust None (0) 24237 1.03 1.01–1.04 3105 1.01 0.97–1.05 420 1.00 0.91–1.10 122 1.01 0.84–1.20
Low (<0.5 mg/m3‐year) 4519 0.89 0.87–0.92 136 0.95 0.79–1.12 22 0.98 0.61–1.49 6 0.63 0.23–1.37
Medium (0.5–1.5 mg/m3‐year) 1321 0.92 0.87–0.97 284 0.93 0.83–1.05 8 0.99 0.43–1.96 15 1.21 0.68–2.00
High (>1.5 mg/m3‐year) 60 1.22 0.93–1.57 2 0.46 0.06–1.65 0 0.00 0.00–10.2 0 0.00 0.00–18.5
Synthetic polymer dust None (0) 29877 1.00 0.99–1.01 3392 1.01 0.98–1.04 448 1.00 0.91–1.10 138 1.01 0.85–1.20
Low (<5 mg/m3‐year) 204 0.94 0.82–1.08 135 0.81 0.68–0.96 2 0.54 0.07–1.96 5 0.75 0.24–1.75
Medium (5–20 mg/m3‐year) 46 0.68 0.49–0.90 0 0.00 0.00 0 0.00 0.00 0 0.00 0.00
High (>20 mg/m3‐year) 10 1.23 0.59–2.26 0 0.00 0.00 0 0.00 0.00 0 0.00 0.00

O, observed number of cases; CI, confidence interval; SIRs adjusted for age and social class, exposure lag period 20 years.