Mortality experience of a cohort of vinyl chloride-polyvinyl chloride workers.

These data are derived from early follow-up of individuals exposed for 5 or more years to vinyl chloride in a polymerization facility. At least 17 percent of the deaths that occurred were causally related to exposure to vinyl chloride. Longer periods of observation are required to provide information concerning the full spectrum of vinyl chloride-induced malignancies and their incidence among exposed workers. These data speak for the need to prevent exposure to vinyl chloride and for surveillance and early disease detection of those who have experienced vinyl chloride exposures in the past.