A study of workers in the Danish printing industry identified over 3,000 substances used in printing and related industries. Nearly 23 per cent of the products contained known or suspected carcinogens, the paper noted. The researchers investigated cancers in those who had worked in the printing industry during 1970. Over 15,000 men and 3,500 women were included in the study. Cancer of the liver, lungs, kidneys and bladder were all more frequent among male print workers, compared to the general population. Different types of cancers were linked to different jobs. The cancer sites correspond with those associated with many of the solvents and dyes encountered in printing. The authors conclude: “Our results indicate, in line with a previous study from Manchester, that work with rotary letterpress printing was associated with an increased risk of lung cancer. The inconsistent results from studies on bladder cancer in printing workers may point to a risk confined to a certain subgroup. The sixfold risk of primary liver cancer in Danish lithographers warrants studies in other countries.”

E Lynge and others. Cancer in printing workers in Denmark, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, volume 52, pages 738-744, 1995.