Causes of Death and Incidence of Cancer in a Cohort of Australian Pesticide-Exposed Workers
Received 28 January 2009; accepted 11 January 2010.
Purpose
To determine the rates of mortality and of cancer incidence in a cohort of pesticide-exposed Australian workers.
Methods
The study cohort was assembled using records of former government occupational health surveillance programs. The cohort was then linked to the Australian national registries of cancer and mortality and analyzed in comparison with the general Australian population.
Results
Consistent with a healthy worker effect, we found no overall excesses in mortality or incident cancer. Non–injury-related causes of death were less than expected; however, non-intentional poisoning and suicide mortality were significantly elevated. All types of suicide were elevated, and firearm suicide deaths were significantly in excess. The suicides by poisoning were predominantly associated with pesticides, although other published research suggests this pattern is more often associated with developing countries.
Conclusions
This study did not find evidence of a relationship between occupational pesticide exposure and cancer or non–injury-related mortality. However, accidental poisoning and intentional self-harm warrant further investigation.
Monash Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
Address correspondence to: Ewan MacFarlane, Monash Centre for Occupational & Environmental Health (MonCOEH), Department of Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, The Alfred Hospital, Commercial Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia. Tel: +61 3 9903 00593. Fax: +61 3 9903 0556.
ABSTRACT