Mortality in aluminum reduction plant workers.

Mortality in workers at a northwestern United States prebake-type aluminum reduction plant was examined in a historical prospective (cohort) study. Although the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) for all causes of death was low (86), lung cancer (SMR 117), pancreatic cancer (SMR 180), lymphatic and hematopoietic cancers (SMR 184), fatal benign tumors of the brain (SMR 391), and pulmonary emphysema (SMR 204) showed excess deaths. Analysis of mortality by job-exposure category, duration of employment and latency suggests that some of the lymphatic and hematopoietic cancers (especially malignant lymphoma), lung cancers and pulmonary emphysema may be of occupational origin in this worker population.