Mortality and tumour morbidity among Swedish market gardeners and orchardists

In order to investigate possible effects of exposure
to pesticides, mainly fungicides and insecticides,
we studied a cohort of 2370 subjects, who, during the
period 1965-1982, had been members of a horticulturists'
trade association (market gardeners and orchardists).
Compared to a regional reference population, total mortality
( 542 deaths; standardized mortality morbidity ratio,
SMR = 0.8 ; 95 % confidence limits, C Ls = 0.7, 0.9) and
mortality due to malignant tumours ( 133 deaths, SMR =
0.9 ; C Ls = 0.7, 1.0), and cardiovascular and respiratory
deaths were somewhat decreased Suggestive excesses in
mortality were seen for mental disorders and tumours of
the stomach, skin and nervous system The tumours of the
nervous system were in particular excess in the young
and middle-aged horticulturists (below age 60 ; six cases,
SMR = 2.9 ; C Ls = 1.1, 6.2) During the period 1965-
1986, the total tumour morbidity was slightly decreased
( 255 cases; SMR = 0.9 ; C Ls = 0.8, 1.0), as were gastrointestinal
and respiratory tract tumours The incidence
of melanomas was increased ( 15 cases, SMR = 2.1 ; C Ls
= 1.2, 3.5), and tumours of the female genital organs,
myelomas, and brain tumours ( 12 cases, SMR = 1.5 ;
C Ls = 0.8, 2.7) were slightly numerically elevated Brain
tumours in the young and middle-aged horticulturists ( 11
cases, SMR = 3.2 ; C Ls = 1.6, 5.7), including meningiomas
(four observed, SMR = 6.8 ; C Ls = 1.9, 17.4), were
increased, especially in the period 1975-1979 The mortality
and tumour morbidity patterns in gardeners and
orchardists, analysed separately, were similar to the patterns
in all the horticulturists The risk for brain tumours
in the young and middle-aged subjects was increased
about threefold in the gardeners, and about fivefold in
the orchardists; in particular, meningiomas were in excess
among the gardeners.