Long-term Mortality Profile of Heavily-Exposed Lead Smelter Workers

Abstract

Of 241 male smelter workers diagnosed as having Pb poisoning during 1928-1959, 140 subsequently died. Their cause-of-death profile was compared with that of 695 other male decedents (predominantly non-office production workers) from the same smelter and with that of the Australian male population. Age-standardized proportional mortality analysis showed a substantial excess in the numbers of deaths from chronic renal disease and cerebral hemorrhage, particularly prior to 1965. A moderate excess was also apparent for the other smelter workers. In recent yr, these mortality excesses in Pb-exposed workers had largely dissipated.