Health Outcomes in Former New Zealand Timber Workers Exposed To Pentachlorophenal (PCP)

Concerns remain about chronic health problems experienced by former timber workers who were exposed to pentachlorophenol (PCP) when it was used as an anti-sapstain fungicide treatment in saw mills. The Health Research Council, on behalf of the Department of Labour, issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a research project aimed at clarifying whether the health effects were real and whether they were associated with the PCP exposure. The Centre for Public Health Research was subsequently awarded a contract to conduct: (i) an historical cohort study of mortality (deaths); and (ii) a cross-sectional morbidity survey of current health problems in a randomly selected sample of former sawmill workers from the cohort study. The latter survey included: (iii) the collection of serum samples for dioxin testing.