€1m study of cancer levels in chemical workers
Wednesday May 29 2002
THE US chemical company Du Pont is to carry out a €1m study into possible links between the chemical Chloroprene and the level of cancer among former members of its Derry workforce, writes George Jackson.
The year long study will involve 5,500 people who have worked at Du Pont's chemical site at Campsie in Derry since 1962.
Chloroprene, which was used in Du Pont's manufacturing process at the Campsie plant until 1998, is not on a sixty-six long blacklist of chemicals known to cause cancer in humans. However the US Human Services National Toxicology Program described Chloroprene as "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen".
The study is part of an international study by the International Institute of Synthetic Rubber Producers involving 12,000 workers into possible harmful effects of Chloroprene.
