Mortality among cadmium and nickel‐exposed workers in a Swedish battery factory†

This cohort study comprised male workers who had been employed in a cadmiumnickel battery factory in Sweden. The subjects had been exposed to cadmium for more than 1 year between the years 1940 to 1980. Of a total of 528 exposed workers, 525 were traced. The observed number of deaths due to various diseases was compared to the expected number, calculated from national statistics. Between 1951 and 1980, 105 men died before the age of 80, compared to an expected number of 122. In a subgroup of workers, totalling 185 men, who were exposed for more than 15 years, 51 died compared to an expected number of 58. There was a significant increase in deaths from nephritis and nephrosis (three observed, 0.4 expected). Furthermore, nonsignificant increases were observed for cancer of the prostate (three observed, 1.6 expected), urinary bladder cancer (two observed, 0.4 expected), and pulmonary cancer (three observed, 2.5 expected). One case of cancer of the nasopharynx was recorded.