Biomaterial Database

Mortality experience of styrene-polystyrene polymerization workers. Initial findings. 1978

W J Nicholson, and I J Selikoff, and H Seidman

A group of 560 individuals has been identified as employed on 1 May 1960 with at least five years seniority in a plant manufacturing styrene and polystyrene. In this plant workplace exposures included styrene, benzene and ethylbenzene, among other materials. All of the 560 individuals have been traced through 1975 and their vital status determined. Expected and observed deaths, by cause, were determined from 1 May 1960 or the tenth anniversary of employment in the plant through 31 December 1975. Over this relatively short period of time a deficit of deaths compared to that of the general population was observed (106.41 expected versus 83 observed). Among the 83 deaths, one was of leukemia, one of lymphoma and an additional death was accompanied by leukemia. A review of 361 additional death certificates revealed five additional cases of leukemia and four of lymphoma. The available information from the limited follow-up in time of the time of the cohort and from the randomly collected death certificates, while suggestive of a possible risk, is not definitive.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007938	Leukemia	A progressive, malignant disease of the blood-forming organs, characterized by distorted proliferation and development of leukocytes and their precursors in the blood and bone marrow. Leukemias were originally termed acute or chronic based on life expectancy but now are classified according to cellular maturity. Acute leukemias consist of predominately immature cells; chronic leukemias are composed of more mature cells. (From The Merck Manual, 2006)	Leucocythaemia,Leucocythemia,Leucocythaemias,Leucocythemias,Leukemias
D008171	Lung Diseases	Pathological processes involving any part of the LUNG.	Pulmonary Diseases,Disease, Pulmonary,Diseases, Pulmonary,Pulmonary Disease,Disease, Lung,Diseases, Lung,Lung Disease
D008223	Lymphoma	A general term for various neoplastic diseases of the lymphoid tissue.	Germinoblastoma,Lymphoma, Malignant,Reticulolymphosarcoma,Sarcoma, Germinoblastic,Germinoblastic Sarcoma,Germinoblastic Sarcomas,Germinoblastomas,Lymphomas,Lymphomas, Malignant,Malignant Lymphoma,Malignant Lymphomas,Reticulolymphosarcomas,Sarcomas, Germinoblastic
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D009369	Neoplasms	New abnormal growth of tissue. Malignant neoplasms show a greater degree of anaplasia and have the properties of invasion and metastasis, compared to benign neoplasms.	Benign Neoplasm,Cancer,Malignant Neoplasm,Tumor,Tumors,Benign Neoplasms,Malignancy,Malignant Neoplasms,Neoplasia,Neoplasm,Neoplasms, Benign,Cancers,Malignancies,Neoplasias,Neoplasm, Benign,Neoplasm, Malignant,Neoplasms, Malignant
D009787	Occupational Medicine	Medical specialty concerned with the promotion and maintenance of the physical and mental health of employees in occupational settings.	Industrial Medicine,Medicine, Industrial,Medicine, Occupational
D011137	Polystyrenes	Polymerized forms of styrene used as a biocompatible material, especially in dentistry. They are thermoplastic and are used as insulators, for injection molding and casting, as sheets, plates, rods, rigid forms and beads.	Polystyrol,Polystyrene,Polystyrols
D002318	Cardiovascular Diseases	Pathological conditions involving the CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM including the HEART; the BLOOD VESSELS; or the PERICARDIUM.	Adverse Cardiac Event,Cardiac Events,Major Adverse Cardiac Events,Adverse Cardiac Events,Cardiac Event,Cardiac Event, Adverse,Cardiac Events, Adverse,Cardiovascular Disease,Disease, Cardiovascular,Event, Cardiac
D004781	Environmental Exposure	The exposure to potentially harmful chemical, physical, or biological agents in the environment or to environmental factors that may include ionizing radiation, pathogenic organisms, or toxic chemicals.	Exposure, Environmental,Environmental Exposures,Exposures, Environmental