Health outcomes of former New Zealand timber workers exposed to pentachlorophenol (PCP)

The aims of this project are:

1. To ascertain whether timber workers exposed to PCP are dying more often than other workers of comparable age and sex.
2. To ascertain whether timber workers exposed to PCP are getting cancer more often than other workers of comparable age and sex.
3. To ascertain whether timber workers exposed to PCP are experiencing more hospital admissions than other workers of comparable age and sex.
4. To determine whether chronic health problems such as fever/sweating, weight loss, persisting fatigue, nausea and neuropsychological dysfunction are more common in timber workers who worked with PCP than in other timber workers.
5. To determine whether the prevalence of these symptoms is related to past PCP exposure.

RELATED PUBLICATIONS

McLean D, Eng A, Walls C, Dryson E, Harawira J, Cheng S, Wong K, 't Mannetje A, Gray M, Shoemack P, Smith A, Pearce N. Serum dioxin levels in former New Zealand sawmill workers twenty years after exposure to pentachlorophenol (PCP) ceased. Chemosphere, 2009; 74(7): 962-7.
McLean D, Eng A, Dryson E, Walls C, Harding E, Wong K, Cheng S, 't Mannetje A, Ellison-Loschmann L, Slater T, Shoemack P, Pearce N. Morbidity in former sawmill workers exposed to pentachlorophenol (PCP): a cross-sectional study in New Zealand. Am J Ind Med, 2009; 52(4): 271-81.