Dow Worker Studies Show No Increased Risk of Disease

Dow has a long history of studying the health of its workers. Since 1967, we have conducted hundreds of worker studies among employees worldwide who, as a result of their work, have been exposed to a variety of chemicals. More than 165 of these studies have been published in peer-reviewed medical journals. We know of no other company that has done more worker studies or published more medical papers on worker health.

One group of studies involves the health of 2,192 workers who, in the 1960s, showed an outbreak of chloracne, a severe acne-like skin disorder that affects mainly the face and upper body. These workers were exposed during manufacturing operations and have been followed for more than 40 years, longer than any other worker population in the world.

During these studies, researchers evaluated data for the existence of several diseases including cancer, diabetes, heart disease, birth defects, ulcers and other illnesses.

No Impact on Disease Rates
Results show no indication of increased trends of disease related to dioxin exposure, with the exception of chloracne. Of  Dow workers with dioxin exposure, 11 percent exhibited chloracne. Those workers, however, showed cancer rates 50 percent lower than expected for the general population. The studies also show that Dow workers with dioxin exposure are healthy relative to the general population.

Other Studies Confirm Results
Since the initial study, which was published in peer-reviewed occupational medicine journals in 1980, Dow has published 16 more studies on potential health effects of dioxin exposure. The most recent was published in 2003. Results of all studies demonstrate the same conclusion - that Dow workers who were exposed to high levels of dioxins and furans in an industrial setting do not have a higher risk of disease, with the exception of chloracne, which occurred in workers who experienced very high exposure levels.

Dow worker studies represent one of the largest industrial groups ever studied at a single location, and it is important to note that they were conducted on people with very high exposure levels. These levels should not be confused with the very low background dioxin levels or levels measured in the soils and sediments in our community.

Resident Risk Low
These extensive studies have led Dow to conclude that residents of Midland and the Tittabawassee River area do not have a greater risk of disease due to dioxin exposure, as compared to the general population.

A new study currently underway at Dow involves testing blood levels of dioxin among employees with workplace exposure to dioxins. We will compare these workers to Dow workers with no workplace exposure. Results of this study will be available this fall.

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