A case-control study of chemical exposures and brain tumors in petrochemical workers.

The relationship between chemical exposures and deaths attributable to primary brain tumors among employees of a Texas petrochemical plant was investigated. Cases consisted of 21 deaths in which the underlying cause was confirmed as a primary brain tumor. Two control groups of 80 employees each were randomly selected from 450 decedents known to the company in June, 1979. Potential exposures while employed were compared between cases and controls for five known or suspect carcinogens. Exposure potentials were also compared for an additional 37 chemicals to which at least four cases were potentially exposed. Overall and 15-year latency analyses were performed. The proportion of cases exposed to the five potentially carcinogenic chemicals (including vinyl chloride) were lower than or consistent with the proportion of exposed controls. No statistically significant differences between the proportions of cases and controls exposed to the 37 other chemicals were found.