Lead sulfochromate yellow

Epidemiological data

Administrative data

Endpoint:

epidemiological data

Type of information:

experimental study

Adequacy of study:

key study

Reliability:

2 (reliable with restrictions)

Rationale for reliability incl. deficiencies:

other: scientifically acceptable study

Data source

Reference

Reference Type:

publication

Title:

Mortalite par le cancer bronchopulmonaire dans une fabrique de pigments a base de chromates de plomb et de zinc

Author:

Haguenoer JM, Dubois G, Frimat P, Cantineau A, Lefrancois H and Furon D

Year:

1981

Bibliographic source:

Institut de Medecine du Travail, Faculte de Medecine - 59045 LILLE CEDEX - FRANCE

Materials and methods

Study type:

cohort study (prospective)

Endpoint addressed:

carcinogenicity

Principles of method if other than guideline:

Brochopulmonar cancer related mortality was evaluated in lead/zinc chromate pigment factory workers

GLP compliance:

no

Test material

Test material information

Constituent 1

Reference substance name:

Lead chromate

EC Number:

231-846-0

EC Name:

Lead chromate

Cas Number:

7758-97-6

IUPAC Name:

Lead Chromate

Details on test material:

- Analytical purity: no data
- Impurities (identity and concentrations): no data
- Composition of test material, percentage of components: no data

Method

Type of population:

occupational

Ethical approval:

not specified

Details on study design:

HYPOTHESIS TESTED (if cohort or case control study): respiratory tract tumor deaths induced by the test material

METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION
- Type: recensement

STUDY PERIOD: Jan 1, 1958 - December 31 1977

STUDY POPULATION
- Total population (total no. of persons in cohort from which the subjects were drawn): 251 active workers during the study period (working in the factory at least for 6 months, starting before 1978 and still alive in 1958).
- Selection criteria: workers in the factory at least for 6 months, still alive in 1958 and having start the work in the plant before 1978.
- Sex/age/race: man
- Total number of subjects at end of study: 201

COMPARISON POPULATION
- Type: population of the department of North, France
- Details: statistics of the reference population were available (from 1958 to 1977), with the numbers of respiratory tract (non secondary tracheal, bronchial and pulmonar) tumor related, as well as total deaths, each 10 years.

HEALTH EFFECTS STUDIED
- Disease(s): respiratory tract tumor
- Diagnostic procedure: cytology and histology (Biopsy).

Exposure assessment:

not specified

Results and discussion

Results:

EXPOSURE
- Average concentrations: could not be determined due to the changes (ameliorations) occurring progressively in the production.

INCIDENCE / CASES
- Incidence/ Number of cases for each disease / parameter under consideration: 30 (from a total of 50) deaths were attributable to pulmonary tumor (11), infarct (3), vasculocerabral accident (2), cerebral tumor (2), suicide (2), pulmonary acute edema (1), acute respiratory insufficiency (1), pancreatite (1), arterite (1), accident (1), intoxication (1), renal insufficiency (1), liver tumor (1), gastrointestinal tumor (2). The reason for the remaining deaths could not be determined.

Confounding factors:

Zinc chromate was manufactured in the factory in parallel to lead chromate; azo and diazo dyes were additionally produced in the same factory up to 1965. It is therefore impossible to specifically incriminate the test substance.

Any other information on results incl. tables

The observed pulmonar tumors are summarized below:

Observation #	Year of birth	Exposition period (years)	Latency	Tobacco smoking	Diagnostic	Evolution period	Age at diagnostic
1	1906	12.5	12.5	+		5 months	56
2	1907	17.5	17.75	+	ganglion biopsy	11 months	59
3	1917	14	14.75	+	cytology	6 months	51
4	1911	17.5	17.5	+	bronchial biopsy	6 months	57
5	1925	23.5	23.5	former smoker	bronchial biopsy	1 year	44
6	1925	20.25	20.25	+	bronchial biopsy	4 months	46
7	1909	14.33	14.75	-		1 month	63
8	1918	2	15	+		1 year	53
9	1913	17.5	17.5	+	bronchial biopsy	34 months	58
10	1929	18.75	18.33	+	bronchial biopsy	2 years	43
11	1904	13.5	21	+	cytology	1 month	71
12	1924	21.5	22.5	+	bronchial biopsy	6 months	53
13	1914	19.33	18.75	+		19 months	62
14	1936	3	4.5	+	bronchial biopsy	1 month	42

The incidence of deaths due to pulmonary tumor tripled in the control population during the 20 years of the study (310/13367 in 1958 vs. 797/14044 in 1977). Therefore, the comparison of the exposed group to the control population was made in a per year basis.

Based on the observations obtained from the control population the predicted number of deaths due to pulmonary tumor was 2.38 and was significantly lower than the 11 deaths in the exposed population (relative risk: 4.61). This is particularly important since the predicted 44.54 "normal" deaths (not due to pulmonary tumor or of unknown cause) compared to the actually observed 39 was not significant.

Lead poisoning was generally observed in 5 from 11 pulmonary tumor deaths. The urinary chrome levels were elevated in dried environment workers.