SWEDISH RISK

When the data as a whole are reviewed for studies on humans exposed to ethylene oxide, no conclusion can be made that there is an increase in mortahty associated with those exposed to ethylene oxide. Two Swedish studies (247,248) indicated an increase in leukemia for workers exposed to multiple chemicals including ethylene oxide however, in a recent larger Swedish study (249) of workers exposed to only ethylene oxide, there was no association of any type of cancer increase for these workers. In a recent study sponsored by NIOSH, there was no significant increase in mortahty observed for cancer when all types are combined or for certain individual types of cancer, even for those people who worked the longest and were observed the longest. However, a statistically significant increase in mortahty from certain types of lymphoma was observed for male workers. This is contrary to the results observed for female workers. In addition, four other cohort studies of ethylene oxide-exposed workers have been pubhshed (250—253), but no unequivocal increase in the risk of cancer was observed. 

Axelson O, Selden A, Andersson K, et al. 1994. Updated and expanded Swedish cohort study on trichloroethylene and cancer risk. J Occup Med 36 556-562. 

Swedish Soil Risk Classification Scheme and Building Restrictions... 

Zammit S, Allebeck P, Andreasson S, Lundberg I and Lewis G (2002). Self reported cannabis use as a risk factor for schizophrenia in Swedish conscripts of 1969 Historical cohort study. British Medical Journal, 325, 1199-1201. 

Wilson, C., Mapping the radon risk of our environment, in Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate, Stockholm, 1984, 2, pp. 85-89, Swedish Council for Building Research, Stockholm (1984). 

A recent prospective study of AAD and CDAD in five Swedish hospitals showed an increased risk of AAD with cephalosporins, clindamycin and broad-spectrum penicillins [42], While CDAD is well recognized as the most common nosocomial gastrointestinal pathogen, some... 

Swedish Lapland reindeer herders have experienced a variety of sociocultural problems as a result of the Chernobyl accident. The variability of contamination has been compounded by the variability of expert statements about risk, the change in national limits of Bq concentrations set for meat marketability, and the variability of the compensation policy for slaughtered reindeer. These concerns may result in fewer Lapps becoming herders and a general decline in reindeer husbandry (Beach 1990). 

Wiklund, K., L.E. Holm, and G. Eklund. 1990. Cancer risks in Swedish Lapps who breed reindeer. Amer. Jour. Epidemiol. 132 1078-1082. 

Stolt, R et al., Silica exposure is associated with increased risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis results from the Swedish EIRA study, Ann. Rheum. Dis., 64, 582, 2005. 

Rasmussen J., Svendung I., 2000. Pro-active Risk Management in a Dynamic Society, Swedish Rescue Services Agency, Karlstad. 

Samuelsson G, McCamish-Svensson C, Hagberg B et al. (2005) Incidence and risk factors for depression and anxiety disorders results from a 34-year longitudinal Swedish cohort study. Aging Ment Health 9 (6) 571-575... 

A European Union (EU) risk assessment of di-2-ethylhexylphthalate (DEHP) underestimated the substance s potential damage to the environment, the commission s scientific committee on toxicology (CSTEE) says. The study was completed by a team of Swedish scientists in September 2001 for the European Commission (EC). The Swedish scientists had recommended in September that no measures were required to reduce the risk of pollution from DEHP. But CSTEE will begin a new round of research shortly, as part of a review of the scientists assessment, to determine the extent of environmental risks posed by DEHP. CSTEE says that in many cases there is a need for... 

Sundell, I. B., Nilsson, T. K., Hallmans, G., Hellsten, G., and Dahlen, G. H., Interrelationships between plasma levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor, tissue plasminogen activator, lipoprotein (a) and established cardiovascular risk factors in a North Swedish population. Atherosclerosis (Shannon, Irel.) 80, 9-16 (1989). 

The Swedish government has also reiterated the need to substitute substances of very high concern. These substances are estimated to be relatively few and would not overload the authorisation system. Sweden states that authorisation of such chemicals may be granted only if industry can demonstrate that no feasible alternatives are available the socio-economic arguments clearly outweigh the potential risks and emissions are foreseen to be negligible during manufacture, use and disposal. ... 

The Swedish Classification Scheme initiated in 2005 by the Swedish Association of Pharmacy Industries (LIF), the Swedish Medical Products Agency, Apoteket (National Corporation of Swedish Pharmacies), the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions and the Stockholm County Council, take in account Persistence, Bioaccumulation and Toxicity (PBT) characteristics of pharmaceutical products. This voluntary scheme looks at the environmental hazard and the associated risk of pharmaceutical products. The environmental risk is calculated based on the ratio PEC/PNEC according to the EMEA guideline [17,124, 127]. The obtained information is only available on the website www.fss.se, since due to European restrictions it is not possible to include warning labels on the packaging of medications [17]. 

The Swedish National Chemicals Inspectorate (KEMI) has published an extensive review on human health risk assessment with focus on the application of assessment factors in risk assessments for plant protection products, industrial chemicals, and biocidal products within the European Union (KEMI 2003). 

Wiklund K, Holme L Soft-tissue sarcoma risk in Swedish agricultural and forestry workers. J Natl Cancer Inst 76 229-234, 1986... 

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