Risk of cancer and exposure to gasoline vapors

Am J Epidemiol. 1997 Mar 1;145(5):449-58. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a009127.

Abstract

Until the introduction of self-service around 1970, service station workers in the Nordic countries were exposed to gasoline vapors. Based on measurements reported in the literature, the 8-hour time-weighted average benzene exposure was estimated to be in the range of 0.5-1 mg/m3. We studied the cancer incidence in a cohort of 19,000 service station workers from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. They were identified from the 1970 censuses and followed through 20 years, where 1,300 incident cancers were observed. National incidence rates were used for comparison. The incidence was not increased for leukemia (observed = 28, standardized incidence ratio (SIR) = 0.9, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.6-1.3) not for acute myeloid leukemia (observed = 13, SIR = 1.3, 95% CI 0.7-2.1). The incidence was slightly elevated for kidney cancer observed = 57, SIR = 1.3, 95% CI 1.0-1.7) and for pharyngeal, laryngeal, and lung cancer. A 3.5-fold risk of nasal cancer was found (observed = 12, SIR = 3.5, 95% CI 1.8-6.1). This cohort exposed to gasoline vapors with benzene levels estimated to be 0.5-1 mg/m3 showed no excess risk of leukemia or acute myeloid leukemia, a 30% elevated risk of kidney cancer, and a previously unnoticed risk of nasal cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Air Pollutants, Occupational / adverse effects*
  • Air Pollutants, Occupational / analysis
  • Cohort Studies
  • Confidence Intervals
  • Denmark / epidemiology
  • Environmental Monitoring
  • Epidemiological Monitoring
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Gasoline / adverse effects*
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Kidney Neoplasms / chemically induced
  • Kidney Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Leukemia / chemically induced
  • Leukemia / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Neoplasms / chemically induced
  • Neoplasms / epidemiology*
  • Nose Neoplasms / chemically induced
  • Nose Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Occupational Diseases / chemically induced
  • Occupational Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Respiratory Tract Neoplasms / chemically induced
  • Respiratory Tract Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Risk Assessment
  • Sex Distribution
  • Volatilization

Substances

  • Air Pollutants, Occupational
  • Gasoline