Fritschi Lin, Hoving Jan Lucas, Sim Malcolm R, Del Monaco Anthony, MacFarlane Ewan, McKenzie Dean, Benke Geza, de Klerk Nicholas
Western Australian Institute for Medical Research, Perth, Australia.
Int J Cancer. 2008 Aug 15;123(4):882-7. doi: 10.1002/ijc.23554.
Bauxite is a reddish clay that is refined to produce alumina, which is then reduced to aluminium. There have been studies examining the health of workers in aluminium smelters, but not workers in bauxite mining and alumina refining. A cohort of employees of 1 large aluminium company since 1983 was assembled (n = 6,485, 5,828 men). Deaths and incident cancers to 2002 were ascertained by linkage to national and state cancer and death registries. SIRs and SMRs were calculated compared to national rates standardizing for calendar year, sex and 5-year age group. The mortality from all causes (SMR 0.68, 95% CI: 0.60-0.77), and from circulatory and respiratory diseases, all cancers combined and injury in the male cohort were lower than in the Australian male population and were similar across work groups and with duration of employment. The only significant increased mortality risk was from pleural mesothelioma. The incidence of all cancers combined was similar to the Australian rate. The cohort had a lower risk of incident lymphohaematopoietic cancer (SIR 0.50, 95% CI: 0.31-0.88) and a higher risk of melanoma (SIR 1.30, 95% CI: 1.00-1.69) although no dose-responses were seen. There was also an increased risk of mesothelioma (SIR 3.49, 95% CI: 1.82-6.71), which was associated with exposures outside the aluminium industry. This study is the first to examine cancer and mortality amongst workers in bauxite mines and alumina refineries and found little evidence for increased cancer incidence or mortality in these workers.
铝土矿是一种呈红色的黏土，经过提炼可生产出氧化铝，然后氧化铝再被还原成铝。已有研究对铝冶炼厂工人的健康状况进行了调查，但未涉及铝土矿开采和氧化铝精炼工人的健康状况。自1983年起，对一家大型铝业公司的一批员工进行了队列研究（n = 6485，其中男性5828人）。通过与国家和州癌症及死亡登记处的数据链接，确定了截至2002年的死亡人数和新发癌症病例。计算了标准化发病比（SIR）和标准化死亡比（SMR），并与全国发病率进行比较，同时对历年、性别和5岁年龄组进行了标准化。男性队列中所有原因导致的死亡率（SMR 0.68，95%置信区间：0.60 - 0.77），以及循环系统和呼吸系统疾病、所有癌症合并症和损伤导致的死亡率均低于澳大利亚男性人群，且在不同工作群体和就业年限中相似。唯一显著增加的死亡风险来自胸膜间皮瘤。所有癌症合并症的发病率与澳大利亚发病率相似。该队列发生淋巴造血系统癌症的风险较低（SIR 0.50，95%置信区间：0.31 - 0.88），患黑色素瘤的风险较高（SIR 1.30，95%置信区间：1.00 - 1.69），尽管未观察到剂量反应关系。间皮瘤的发病风险也有所增加（SIR 3.49，95%置信区间：1.82 - 6.71），这与铝行业以外的暴露有关。本研究首次对铝土矿矿山和氧化铝精炼厂工人的癌症和死亡率进行了调查，发现这些工人癌症发病率或死亡率升高的证据很少。
