Occupational and environmental risks in and around a smelter in northern Sweden

摘要

The frequencies of congenital malformations were studied in the offspring of female employees at the RÖnnskär smelter in northern Sweden and in the population near the smelter. In the offspring of women who had worked at the smelter during pregnancy the frequency of malformations as well as of multiple malformations was significantly increased. In the population of the area no significant variations in the total frequency of malformations or in any particular group of malformations were found. Thus, there is no indication that the high frequency of oral clefts in the Skellefteå area is caused by toxic emissions from the smelter.