MORTALITY AMONG WORKERS AT THE PANTEX-WEAPONS-FACILITY

Total and cause-specific mortality for workers at the Pantex Nuclear Weapons Assembly Facility employed between 1951 and Dec. 3. 1978 was compared with expected mortality based on USA death rates. Significantly fewer deaths were observed than expected from all causes of death, all cancers, digestive cancers, lung cancer, arteriosclerotic heart disease and digestive diseases. There were no causes of death which occurred significantly more frequently than expected. Analyses of worker mortality by duration of employment, time since 1st employment, and radiation exposure greater than 1.00 rem produced similar results. No evidence was found that mortality from any cause of death was increased as a result of employment at Pantex.