Biomaterial Database

Occupational exposures and haematological abnormalities among ordnance factory workers: a case control study. 1997

R R West, and D A Stafford

University of Wales College of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff, U.K.

The lifetime exposures to an extensive list of chemical and other potentially toxic hazards were estimated for all available employees at an ordnance factory by questionnaire-based interview. Exposure histories of 32 (of 33) previously diagnosed as haematologically abnormal (cases) were compared with 322 (of 345) normals (controls). Among 'ordnance factory chemicals', modestly increased odds ratios were observed for men for acetic anhydride (2.8), stearic acid (2.8), and possibly for resorcinol (2.9), TNT (2.4) and hydroxy terminated polybutadene (HTPB) (2.4). Increased odds ratios were also observed in exposures not directly related to ordnance manufacture, including mineral acids, welding fumes, exhaust gases and insecticides. While, small numbers in the case group limit the statistical significance of reported odds ratios, one should be cautious about committing a type II error. These findings may partly explain the previously reported unusual prevalence of haematological abnormalities within the factory.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D009784	Occupational Diseases	Diseases caused by factors involved in one's employment.	Diseases, Occupational,Occupational Illnesses,Disease, Occupational,Illnesse, Occupational,Illnesses, Occupational,Occupational Disease,Occupational Illnesse
D011795	Surveys and Questionnaires	Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions.	Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D012118	Resorcinols	A water-soluble crystalline benzene-1,3-diol (resorcinol) and its derivatives.	m-Dihydroxybenzenes,meta-Dihydroxybenzenes,m Dihydroxybenzenes,meta Dihydroxybenzenes
D001772	Blood Cell Count	The number of LEUKOCYTES and ERYTHROCYTES per unit volume in a sample of venous BLOOD. A complete blood count (CBC) also includes measurement of the HEMOGLOBIN; HEMATOCRIT; and ERYTHROCYTE INDICES.	Blood Cell Number,Blood Count, Complete,Blood Cell Counts,Blood Cell Numbers,Blood Counts, Complete,Complete Blood Count,Complete Blood Counts,Count, Blood Cell,Count, Complete Blood,Counts, Blood Cell,Counts, Complete Blood,Number, Blood Cell,Numbers, Blood Cell
D002273	Carcinogens	Substances that increase the risk of NEOPLASMS in humans or animals. Both genotoxic chemicals, which affect DNA directly, and nongenotoxic chemicals, which induce neoplasms by other mechanism, are included.	Carcinogen,Oncogen,Oncogens,Tumor Initiator,Tumor Initiators,Tumor Promoter,Tumor Promoters,Initiator, Tumor,Initiators, Tumor,Promoter, Tumor,Promoters, Tumor
D005260	Female		Females
D006402	Hematologic Diseases	Disorders of the blood and blood forming tissues.	Blood Diseases,Hematological Diseases,Blood Disease,Disease, Blood,Disease, Hematologic,Disease, Hematological,Diseases, Blood,Diseases, Hematologic,Diseases, Hematological,Hematologic Disease,Hematological Disease
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man