Richard Lemen - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Richard Lemen

Toxicology and Industrial Health, 1994

International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, 2002

We performed a quantitative assessment of the risk of lung cancer from exposure to cadmium based ... more We performed a quantitative assessment of the risk of lung cancer from exposure to cadmium based on a retrospective cohort mortality study of cadmium-exposed workers. The study population consisted of white male workers who were employed for at least 6 months at a cadmium smelter between January 1, 1940, and December 31, 1969, and who were first employed at the facility on or after January 1, 1926. The study findings were analyzed using a modified life-table analysis to estimate standardized mortality ratios (SMRs), and various functional forms (i.e., exponential, power, additive relative rate, and linear) of Poisson and Cox proportional hazards models to examine the dose-response relationship. Estimates of working lifetime risk (45 years) were developed using an approach that corrects for competing causes of death. An excess in mortality from lung cancer was observed for the entire cohort (SMR = 149, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 95, 222). Mortality from lung cancer was greatest among non-Hispanic workers (SMR = 211, 95% CI = 131, 323), among workers in the highest cadmium exposure group (SMR = 272, 95% CI = 123, 513), and among workers with 20 or more years since the first exposure (SMR = 161, 95% CI = 100, 248). A statistically significant dose-response relationship was evident in nearly all of the regression models evaluated. Based on our analyses, the lifetime excess lung cancer risk at the current Occupational Safety and Health Administration standard for cadmium fumes of 100 micrograms/m3 is approximately 50 to 111 lung cancer deaths per 1000 workers exposed to cadmium for 45 years.

Iarc Scientific Publications, Feb 1, 1992

We have performed a quantitative assessment of the risk of lung cancer from exposure to cadmium b... more We have performed a quantitative assessment of the risk of lung cancer from exposure to cadmium based on a retrospective cohort mortality study of cadmium-exposed workers. The findings were analysed using a life-table analysis to estimate standardized mortality ratios (SMRs), and various functional forms of Poisson and Cox proportionate hazards models to examine dose-response relationships. An excess mortality from lung cancer was observed for the entire cohort (SMR = 149,95% CI = 95-222). Lung cancer mortality was significantly elevated among non-hispanic workers, among those in the highest cadmium-exposure group, and among workers with 20 or more years since first exposure. A statistically significant dose-response relationship was evident in nearly all of the regression analyses. Based on our analyses, the lifetime excess lung cancer risk at the current OSHA standard for cadmium fumes of 100 micrograms/m3 is approximately 50-111 lung cancer deaths per 1000 workers exposed to cadmium for 45 years.

International journal of occupational and environmental health, 2015

Clinical and public health research, education, and medical practice are vulnerable to influence ... more Clinical and public health research, education, and medical practice are vulnerable to influence by corporate interests driven by the for-profit motive. Developments over the last 10 years have shown that transparency and self-reporting of corporate ties do not always mitigate bias. In this article, we provide examples of how sound scientific reasoning and evidence-gathering are undermined through compromised scientific enquiry resulting in misleading science, decision-making, and policy intervention. Various medical disciplines provide reference literature essential for informing public, environmental, and occupational health policy. Published literature impacts clinical and laboratory methods, the validity of respective clinical guidelines, and the development and implementation of public health regulations. Said literature is also used in expert testimony related to resolving tort actions on work-related illnesses and environmental risks. We call for increased sensitivity, full t...

International journal of occupational and environmental health, 2015

The silicate mineral asbestos is categorized into two main groups based on fiber structure: serpe... more The silicate mineral asbestos is categorized into two main groups based on fiber structure: serpentine asbestos (chrysotile) and amphibole asbestos (crocidolite, amosite, anthophyllite, tremolite, and actinolite). Chrysotile is used in more than 2 000 applications and is especially prevalent in the construction industry. Although its use is banned or restricted in more than 52 countries, an estimated 107 000 workers die from asbestos exposure each year, and approximately 125 million workers continue to be exposed. Furthermore, ambient exposures persist to which the public is exposed, globally. Today, the primary controversies regarding the use of asbestos are the potencies of different types of asbestos, as opposed whether or not asbestos causes morbidity and mortality. The asbestos industry has promoted and funded research based on selected literature, ignoring both clinical and scientific knowledge. In this piece, we highlight a prominent example of a conflicted publication that s...

International journal of occupational and environmental health

Toxicology and industrial health

The Journal of pediatrics, 1981

British journal of cancer, Jan 6, 2013

Environmental Health Perspectives, 2011

Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 1997

The Medical Journal of Australia, 2014

Asbestos exposure is causally associated with the development of malignant mesothelioma (MM), whi... more Asbestos exposure is causally associated with the development of malignant mesothelioma (MM), which is increasingly being reported after exposure to asbestos fibro sheeting in Australia. In this study, we investigate self-reported non-occupational asbestos exposure during home renovation in New South Wales. Cross-sectional mailed questionnaire examining renovation activity, tasks undertaken during renovation and self-reported exposure to asbestos among respondents and their family members in NSW between January and June 2008. 10 000 adults aged 18-99 years, randomly selected from the NSW electoral roll. We received 3612 responses, while 365 questionnaires did not reach addressees, giving an overall response rate of 37.5%. Differences in self-reported asbestos exposure between do-it-yourself (DIY) and non-DIY renovators. 1597 participants (44.2%) had renovated their home and among these, 858 participants (53.7%) self-reported as DIY renovators. Of these, 527 (61.4%) reported asbestos exposure during home renovations, 337 (39.3%) reported that their partner had been exposed to asbestos during renovations, and 196 (22.8%) reported that their children had been exposed. More than 20% of renovators planned to further renovate their current homes within the next 5 years. Self-reported asbestos exposure during home renovation is common. This preventable exposure could place adults and children at risk of MM many years into the future. Although such exposure is self-reported and ideally should be verified, this study identifies a potentially important problem in NSW.