Researcher | Year | Type of study | Exposure | Main findings |
---|---|---|---|---|
1) Exposure to benzene | ||||
Zhang [49] | 2007 | Molecular epidemiological study | Exposure to benzene | A statistically significant increase % of genetic aberrations commonly observed in chemotherapy-related leukemias has been shown among workers exposed to benzene compared to non-exposed controls. |
Richardson [50] | 2009 | Cohort study | Exposure to benzene | The observed pattern of leukemia mortality among rubber-production workers exposed to benzene, compared to the prediction of a TSCE statistical model suggests that benzene plays a role to the kinetics of cancer cells rather than the initial malignant transformation. |
Rushton [51] | 2010 | Ecological study | Exposure to benzene | The Attributable Fraction (AF) of population mortality from acute non-lymphocytic leukemia related to occupational exposure to benzene was estimated at 0.25% (95% CI 0.0-4.65). |
2) Exposure to organic solvents (incl. benzene) | ||||
Costantini et al. [52] | 2008 | Polycentric case-control study | Organic solvents | A significant increase of CLL risk has been shown among the groups of workers with moderate – high exposure to Benzene (OR 1.8, 95% CI 0.9-3.9), and high exposure to Xylene (OR 1.9, 95% CI 0.8-4.5) and Toluene (OR 2.1, 95% CI 0.9-4.7). |
Cocco et al. [53] | 2010 | Case-control study | Organic solvents | A small but statistically significant increase of CLL risk (OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.1-1.6) was shown for workers ever exposed to organic solvents (exposure to any solvent or combined exposure of benzene with toluene, xylene or gasoline) compared to non-exposed. |
Lehman et al. [54] | 2006 | Cohort study | Organic solvents | No statistically significant increase in mortality from leukemia was found among exposed workers in footwear industry, compared with the general population (SMR 1.01, 95% CI 0.67-1.48). |
3) Exposure to Dioxins | ||||
Atallah et al. [55] | 2007 | Case-report | Dioxins – Agent Orange | A rare case of Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL) in a former USAF pilot, who was involved in spraying Agent Orange during the Vietnam War, was reported. |
Collins et al. [56] | 2009 | Cohort-study | TCDD | No significant increase of leukemia mortality was shown among exposed workers (SMR 1.9, 95% CI 1.0- 3.2). No significant association was shown between leukemia mortality and cumulative exposure (ppb) to TCDD (p=0.34). |
4) Exposure to chemical compounds used in the synthetic rubber industry | ||||
Delzell et al. [57] | 2006 | Cohort-study | BD, DMDTC and Styrene | A positive association was shown between (all) leukemias, CML and CLL mortality and occupational exposure to BD. A positive association was also found between leukemia and exposure to Styrene or DMDTC, but in both cases there was also co-exposure to BD. |
Beall et al. [58] | 2007 | Cohort-study | Solvents, aromatic amines | No increased leukemia incidence (SIR 0.68, 95% CI 0.14-1.98) or mortality (SMR 0.95, 95% CI 0.31- 2.23) has been observed among exposed workers, compared to the general population. |
Cheng et al. [59] | 2007 | Cohort-study | BD | A statistically significant association was shown between leukemia risk and exposure to BD, for cumulative exposure in ppm-years (RR 3.84, 95% CI 1.51- 9. 76), frequency of exposure (RR 4.26, 95% CI 1.62-11.21) and average exposure in ppm (RR 3.93, 95% CI 1.5-10.32). |
2009 | Cohort-study | BD and Styrene | In contrast to the results observed among men workers, no statistically significant association was found between exposure of women workers to BD and mortality from leukemia (SMR 0.78, 95% CI 0.38-1.44). | |
5) Exposure to Formaldehyde | ||||
Beane Freeman [62] | 2009 | Cohort-study | Formaldehyde | A non-significant increase in mortality from (all) leukemias (RR 1.42, 95% CI 0.92- 2.18) and myeloid leukemia (RR 1.78, 95% 0.87- 3.64) was shown in the group with the highest exposure (> 4ppm) compared to the group with the lowest exposure. |
Hauptmann [63] | 2009 | Case-control study | Formaldehyde | A statistically significant association between mortality from myeloid leukemia and increasing years of employment (p=0.02) or maximum exposure to formaldehyde (p=0.036) was shown among embalmers. |
Zhang [64] | 2010 | Molecular epidemiological study | Formaldehyde | A statistically significant decrease of cell-lines, reduced activity of the CFU-GMs and increase of leukemia-related genetic aberrations has been shown among workers exposed to formaldehyde compared to non-exposed controls. |
Speit [65] | 2010 | Letter to the editor | Formaldehyde | A number of methodological issues call into question the reliability of the findings of the study of Zhang et al, on in-vitro evidence of leukemia-specific chromosomal changes in workers exposed to formaldehyde. |
6) Exposure to Lead | ||||
Lam [66] | 2007 | Cohort study | Occupational exposure to lead | A non-significant increase of CML incidence was shown (SIR 1.75, 95% CI 0.02- 9.71) among the cohort of workers exposed to lead (metal constructions, metal processing industry, foundries, manufacture of batteries and electronics, glass production). |
7) Exposure to different types of pesticides, herbicides and insecticides | ||||
Mahajan [67] | 2006 | Cohort study - (AHS) | Organophosphate pesticide - Fonofos | A statistically significant increase of leukemia risk was found among pesticide applicators with the highest exposure (based on duration and intensity of exposure) compared to the non-exposed (RR 2.67, 95% CI 1.06-6.70). |
Mahajan [68] | 2006 | Cohort study - (AHS) | Organophosphate pesticide - Phorate | The small number of recorded cases of leukemia among exposed workers did not allow for any reliable conclusions. |
Miligi [69] | 2006 | Case-control study | Different groups of pesticides | No significant association with leukemia risk was shown for exposure to fungicides (OR 1.0, 95% CI 0.7 -1.3), herbicides (OR 1.4, 95% CI 0.8-2.3), insecticides (OR 1.0, 95% CI 0.7 -1.4), molluscicides (OR 0.9, 95% CI 0.3-2.5) or rodenticides (OR 0.4, 95% CI 0.1-1.2). |
Hansen [70] | 2007 | Cohort study | Arsenate pesticides, Atrazine, Dichlorvos, Captafol, Amitrol, Lindane, DDT | A significant increase of leukemia incidence (SIR 2.33, 95% CI 1.32- 4.10) was found among the group of gardeners with high exposure to pesticides, previous to the 1960 restriction of the use of potentially carcinogenic substances. |
Purdue [71] | 2007 | Cohort study - (AHS) | Organochlorine insecticides (Aldrin, Chlordane, DDT, Dieldrin, Heptachlor, Lindane, Toxaphene) | A marginal statistically significant association was found between the leukemia risk and previous use of any of the Organochlorine pesticides (RR 2.0, 95% CI 1.0-4.1), Lindane (RR 2.0, 95% CI 1.1-3.5) or Heptachlor (RR 2.1, 95% CI 1.1-3.9). |
van Bemmel [72] | 2008 | Cohort study - (AHS) | Thio-carbamate herbicide EPTC | No statistically significant increase of leukemia risk was shown for workers exposed EPTC (RR 1.31, 95% CI 0.75-2.28) compared to the non-exposed. |
Chrisman Jde [73] | 2009 | Ecological study | All pesticides | A statistically significant increase of leukemia mortality was observed in areas with increased per capita use of pesticides (MRR 1.6, 95% CI 1.55-1.66 and 1.93, 95% CI 1.87-2.0 for the 1st quartile of pesticide use, compared to the 2nd and 3rd quartile respectively). |
Delancey [74] | 2009 | Cohort study - (AHS) | Herbicide Metribuzin | A statistically non-significant increase of leukemia risk was shown among the group of pesticide applicators with the highest cumulative exposure to Metribuzin (RR 2.42, 95% CI 0.82-7.19, p=0.08). |
Orsi [75] | 2009 | Case-control study | Organochlorine insecticides, Phenoxy – herbicides, Triazine-containing herbicides | A significant association was shown between the risk of hairy cell leukemia (HCL) and exposure to Organochlorine insecticides (OR 4.9, 95% CI 1.1-21.2), Phenoxy-herbicides (OR 4.1, 95% CI 1.1-15.5) and Triazine-containing herbicides (OR 5.1, 95% CI 1.4-19.3). |
Rusiecki [76] | 2009 | Cohort study - (AHS) | Exposure to Permethrin | No significant association was shown between exposure to Permethrin and leukemia risk among workers (RR 1.74, 95% CI 0.83 - 3.64 and 1.34, 95% CI 0.61-2.92 for workers with the longest duration of exposure or the highest cumulative exposure respectively). |
8) Combined chemical and biological hazards in agriculture | ||||
Bassil [77] | 2007 | Literature review | Combined exposure to pesticides, insecticides and work with livestock | 6 cohort studies and 8 case-control studies have shown a statistically significant association between pesticide exposure and leukemia risk, and 2 cohort studies have shown an association between leukemia risk and work with livestock. |
9) Biological hazards in agriculture and food industry | ||||
Moore [78] | 2007 | Case-control study (multicentric) | Occupational exposure to meat products | A statistically significant association was found between CLL risk and occupational exposure to meat products, for workers with exposure> 16 years to cattle and poultry meat (OR 2.51, 95% CI 1.12 - 5.66 and 2.06, 95% CI 1.17 - 3.63 respectively). |
Johnson [79] | 2010 | Cohort study | Occupational exposure to meat products | A statistically significant increase of lymphatic leukemia mortality was shown among men workers in slaughterhouses and poultry meat processing plants (SMR 5.9, 95% CI 1.6-15.2). No similar increase was found among female workers. |
Johnson [80] | 2010 | Cohort study | Occupational exposure to meat products | A statistically significant increase of lymphatic leukemia proportional mortality was observed only among non-white women workers in slaughterhouses and poultry meat processing plants (PMR 6.4, 95% CI 1.3-31.1). |