Mortality among rubber workers: VI. Men with potential exposure to acrylonitrile.

In an analysis of mortality among 327 employees of a rubber chemicals plant who had potential exposure to acrylonitrile, nine deaths from lung cancer were found in comparison to 5.9 expected based on mortality rates for U.S. white males and 4.7 expected based on mortality rates for other rubber workers from the same city. The excess was greatest among men who worked five through 14 years and who died 15 or more years after starting work in the plant (four deaths observed, 0.8 expected).