Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and Agricultural Practices in the Prairie Provinces of Canada

• Published in: Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment ＆ Health Vol. 20; no. 1; pp. 42 - 47
• Main Authors: Morrison, Howard I, Semenciw, Robert M, Wilkins, Kathryn, Mao, Yang, Wigle, Donald T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Helsinki Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment ＆ Health 01.02.1994; National Institute of Occupational Health (Sweden); Institute of Occupational Health (Finland); National Institute of Occupational Health (Denmark); National Institute of Occupational Health (Norway); Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Agricultural Workers' Diseases - chemically induced; Agricultural Workers' Diseases - mortality; Agrochemicals - adverse effects; Biological and medical sciences; Canada - epidemiology; Cause of Death; Cohort Studies; Cross-Sectional Studies; Death; Degrees of freedom; Farms; Fuel Oils - adverse effects; Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases; Herbicides; Herbicides - adverse effects; Humans; Incidence; Leukemias. Malignant lymphomas. Malignant reticulosis. Myelofibrosis; Longitudinal Studies; Lymphoma; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin - chemically induced; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin - mortality; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Mortality; Non Hodgkin lymphoma; Organic farming; Prairies; Risk Factors; Spraying; Survival Analysis; Canada; North America; America; cohort studies; agricultural workers' diseases; petroleum; herbicides; Human; Hydrocarbon; Pesticides; Malignant hemopathy; Occupational exposure; Non Hodgkin lymphoma; Epidemiology; Herbicide; Petroleum; Carcinogen; Lymphoproliferative syndrome; Cohort study; Agriculture; Occupational medicine; Public health
• ISSN: 0355-3140; 1795-990X
• DOI: 10.5271/sjweh.1430

Objectives—The aim of this study was to provide an update of a cohort study (1971—1985) that previously reported a significant trend in the risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma among male Saskatchewan farm operators according to fuel-oil expenditures and herbicide spraying for farms less than 1000 acres (2570 hectares) by including two additional Canadian prairie provinces, two additional years of follow-up, and data from the 1981 Census of Agriculture. Methods—Information on farmers from 1971 records of the Census of Agriculture was linked to 1971 records of the Census of Population, to 1981 records of the Census of Agriculture, and to death records. Poisson regression was used to estimate risks according to herbicide spraying and fuel and oil expenditures. Results— The addition of a further two years of follow-up resulted in lower risk estimates associated with herbicide spraying for Saskatchewan. No excess risk was observed between herbicide spraying and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma for Alberta or Manitoba in the 1971 data. However, a significantly increased risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma according to acres sprayed with herbicides was observed for the three provinces combined when the herbicide spraying data from the 1981 Census of Agriculture was used [≥380 acres (≥ 939 hectares) sprayed, rate ratio 2.11, 95% confidence interval 1.1— 3.9]. Conclusions—Although the current results are not entirely consistent with the original Saskatchewan analysis, they support the overall finding of an association between herbicides and risk of fatal non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Prospective cohort studies are needed to overcome the limitations of existing epidemiologie studies.