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ASSESSMENT OF DISEASE RATES AMONG SEWER WORKERS IN COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
Citation:
Dean, R. ASSESSMENT OF DISEASE RATES AMONG SEWER WORKERS IN COPENHAGEN, DENMARK. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/1-78/007 (NTIS PB279082), 1978.
Description:
Sewer workers in Copenhagen, Denmark, have a higher death rate than the comparable male population. An alarmingly high proportion of the deaths occur within the year that employment terminates. Attempts to correlate the statistics with sick leave records or chemicals in the environment have so far not been successful. Sewer workers experience a high rate of gastro-intestinal tract disorders which they associate with chemical odors and infectious agents. They have elevated levels of gamma globulins. Analytical work has not yet identified any agents that might be responsible for the observed death rates or the gastro-intestinal problems. Biological examinations of stool specimens have not been made.