New and Noteworthy Information—August 2015

Men with high exposure to formaldehyde at work had an almost three times greater rate of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) mortality than men with no exposure, according to a study published online ahead of print July 13 in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. Researchers examined data for 794,541 men and 674,694 women included in the National Longitudinal Mortality Study who were 25 or older when surveyed. They used a formaldehyde exposure matrix constructed by industrial hygienists at the National Cancer Institute. Exposure to formaldehyde differed between males and females. All men with high-intensity exposure were funeral directors. Few women had high-exposure jobs, and there were no ALS deaths among women with such jobs. Participants with exposure were poorer and less educated than those without exposure.

—Kimberly Williams