Læknablaðið - 15.01.1987, Blaðsíða 14

8
LÆKNABLAÐIÐ
exposed in paint occupation for four years while they
served their apprenticeship. The study population was
defined as all male painters on record in a published file
of »Icelandic Painters«, who had served their
apprenticeship and who had been certified as painters.
Informations of death occuring between 1951 and 1983
was obtained through the Statistical Bureau of Iceland.
The vital status could be ascertained for all subjects.
Expected death rates were calculated, based on the
national rates for males in the corresponding age
groups.
The total number of deaths from all causes was less than
expected for the whole study period (91 versus 120.23)
and SMR did not exceed 1.0 for all causes of deaths with
20 and 30 years latent periods or with restrictions to
those born between 1905 to 1945 or to any special
entrance to the cohort. The SMR were higher than 2 for
cancer of kidney, cancer of brain and other parts of
nervous system and leukemia in the total cohort,
however, none of these reached statistical significance.
When restricting the cohort to those born 1905 to 1945
and making allowance for a latent period of 30 year
three deaths from cancer of kidney were found against
0.57 expected, SMR 5.88, statistically significant at the
5% level.
It is concluded that the results do not indicate any
important hazard that was previously unsuspected. The
possible harmful effects of organic solvents on the
central nervous function of painters are of course not
detected by mortality study of this type.
HEIMILDIR
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