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Studies Look at Exposures and Mortality Risk in Semiconductor Industry
Oct 26, 2005, 23:55, Reviewed by: Dr.
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The results show no definite health risks to workers in the semiconductor industry, although links between certain types of jobs and specific cancers warrant further study.
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By American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM),
Workers involved in the manufacture of semiconductors and storage media have varying exposure to a wide range of potentially hazardous substances, report a pair of studies in the October Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).
The results show no definite health risks to workers in the semiconductor industry, although links between certain types of jobs and specific cancers warrant further study.
The first study, led by Robert Herrick, SD, of Harvard University, estimated potentially hazardous occupational exposures in a sample of over 125,000 workers at three IBM manufacturing plants between 1965 and 1999. Two of the plants made semiconductors while one made storage devices. The studies were sponsored by IBM.
The researchers estimated exposures by assigning employees assigned to "work groups," with differing levels of exposure to various substances. They also defined "manufacturing eras" for each plant, reflecting dramatic changes in production methods over the years.
The results provided estimates of exposure to various substances�such as solvents, metals, and radiation�among workers in different types of jobs. Jobs with relatively high exposure to these agents included semiconductor fabrication, disk manufacturing, research and development, and equipment maintenance.
The second study, led by Colleen Beall, DrPH, of University of Alabama at Birmingham, assessed mortality risks among employees in various work groups. The overall mortality rate was low�30 to 40 percent lower than in the general population�likely reflecting the workers' above-average education, income, and access to medical care.
The risks of death from cancer and other major diseases were also lower than expected. Overall, there was "no conclusive evidence that any form of cancer was associated causally with employment," the researchers write.
However, employees in certain work groups were at elevated risk of specific cancers. For example, equipment maintenance workers at one of the semiconductor plants had increased rates of central nervous system cancers.
At the storage device facility, workers in the facilities/laboratories work group had an increased rate of prostate cancer. There was also evidence of an increased risk of ovarian cancer for certain groups of female workers, particularly those with long-term exposure.
Few studies have looked at mortality and cancer risk among workers in the semiconductor and related industries. Because of rapid changes in products and production processes, the exposures presented today may be very different from those in the past.
The new research provides detailed estimates of occupational exposures to workers performing specific jobs in the semiconductor industry, from the mid-1960s through the 1990s. Overall, workers in this industry have low mortality rates and a low risk of cancer.
Nevertheless, certain jobs and exposures may be linked to an increased risk of specific cancers. The authors believe that some of these associations should be tabbed for further study, particularly the links with central nervous system and prostate cancers. 
- October Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
www.acoem.org
ACOEM, an international society of 5,000 occupational physicians and other healthcare professionals, provides leadership to promote optimal health and safety of workers, workplaces, and environments.
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