An assessment of fertility in boron-exposed turkish subpopulations

Summary In order to assess the effects of boron and its compounds on human health in a country with the world’s largest deposits, investigations were carried out on fertility and reproduction in the most highly exposed populations. The 927 probands, 697 male and 230 female, interviewed in the field were selected from six different areas of Turkey, in the provinces of Balikesir, Eskisehir, and Kutahya, with the highest boron deposits. These people are exposed to boron environmentally or occupationally or both. The drinking waters of high-boron soils contain 0.7–29 mg B/L compared with 0.05-0.45 mg B/L of low-boron soils. By the so-called pedigree technique 5,934 marriages were ascertained over three generations from all study areas. Childless families among 911 probands were 29 in number and 3.17% in frequency with minor variations from one area to the next, and 3.0% averaged over the generations. Infertility rates in a boron-free community near Ankara with 625 families studied over three generations was 4.48%, and in a larger population of 49,856 families randomly investigated by us throughout the country was 3.84%. No significant differences were observed in terms of marital status and childbearing between 222 and 399 occupationally boron-unrelated and boron-related men, respectively. Nor was there any difference with respect to other aspects studied. It was concluded that, within the limitations of this study, there was no evidence that boron interferes with human fertility and reproduction.     

Borate Minerals and Origin of the RNA World

The RNA World is generally thought to have been an important link between purely prebiotic (>3.7 Ga) chemistry and modern DNA/protein biochemistry. One concern about the RNA World hypothesis is the geochemical stability of ribose, the sugar moiety of RNA. Prebiotic stabilization of ribose by solutions associated with borate minerals, notably colemanite, ulexite, and kernite, has been proposed as one resolution to this difficulty. However, a critical unresolved issue is whether borate minerals existed in sufficient quantities on the primitive Earth, especially in the period when prebiotic synthesis processes leading to RNA took place. Although the oldest reported colemanite and ulexite are 330 Ma, and the oldest reported kernite, 19 Ma, boron isotope data and geologic context are consistent with an evaporitic borate precursor to 2400-2100 Ma borate deposits in the Liaoning and Jilin Provinces, China, as well as to tourmaline-group minerals at 3300–3450 Ma in the Barberton belt, South Africa. The oldest boron minerals for which the age of crystallization could be determined are the metamorphic tourmaline species schorl and dravite in the Isua complex (metamorphism between ca. 3650 and ca. 3600 Ma). Whether borates such as colemanite, ulexite and kernite were present in the Hadean (>4000 Ma) at the critical juncture when prebiotic molecules such as ribose required stabilization depends on whether a granitic continental crust had yet differentiated, because in its absence we see no means for boron to be sufficiently concentrated for borates to be precipitated.     

Exposure and mortality in a cohort of German nuclear power workers

A historical cohort study of German nuclear power workers was set up to investigate the overall and cancer mortality risk related to a long-term low-level exposure to ionising radiation. The cohort was part of an international collaborative study whose pooled analyses were carried out at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Lyon, and published recently. Due to delays in data collection, data from the German cohort were not included in these analyses. This cohort includes 4,844 employees who worked in any of 10 nuclear power plants, between 1 January 1991 and 31 December 1997. Sixty-eight deaths among men were observed in 31,000 person years, and none among women. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were computed for all causes of death, all cancers, cardiovascular diseases, external causes, and all other causes. Overall, a strong healthy worker effect was observed (all-cause SMR = 0.54, 95% CI 0.42–0.67), and no increase in total cancer mortality was seen (SMR = 0.66, 95% CI 0.43–0.95). These results are in line with and complement IARC results. Figures are yet too small for stable risk estimates and further work is therefore under way to include more power plants, and to extend the follow-up until the year 2005.     

Radiation exposure and cancer incidence in a cohort of nuclear power industry workers in the Republic of Korea, 1992–2005

This study examines for the first time cancer incidence between radiation and non-radiation workers in nuclear power facilities in the Republic of Korea. Radiation workers were defined as persons who were issued with a dosimeter at nuclear power facilities, until 2005. All analyses were conducted on male workers only (in total 16,236 individuals) because of the sparseness of females. Statistical analyses were carried out using the standardized incidence ratio (SIR), to compare the cancer risks of radiation and non-radiation workers with those of the general population, and the χ² trend test was used to investigate any increase in cancer rates with dose. Poisson regression was also used to estimate the rate ratio (RR) and the excess relative risk (ERR) after considering the confounding effect due to smoking. During 1992–2005, 99 cancer cases in 63,503 person-years were observed among 8,429 radiation workers, while 104 cancer cases were observed in 48,301 person-years among 7,807 non-radiation workers. When compared with the site- and age-specific cancer rates for the male population of Korea, the SIR for all cancers combined was 1.07 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.87–1.30] for radiation workers, and 0.88 (95% CI 0.72–1.06) for non-radiation workers, respectively. The RR for radiation workers compared with non-radiation workers was 1.18 (95% CI 0.89–1.58) for all cancers combined. The SIRs for thyroid cancer were noticeably high for both radiation and non-radiation workers, possibly due to the screening effect, but analysis of the RR showed that there was no statistically significant difference in thyroid cancer incidence rates between the two groups. For lung cancer, radiation workers showed a higher incidence rate as compared to non-radiation workers, with the RR being 3.48 (95% CI 1.19–11.48). A χ² trend test showed that there was no evidence for an increase in cancer rate with increasing cumulative dose for all cancers combined (p = 0.5108). The ERR per Sievert was estimated to be 1.69 (95% CI −2.07 to 8.21) for all cancers combined assuming a 10 years lag time. Consequently, a significant excess of cancer incidence among radiation workers in the nuclear power industry in Korea was not observed. Further follow-up and an expansion of the cohort are needed to overcome the lack of statistical power in the study.     

Boron Contents of Some Wild-Growing Mushrooms Collected from the Vicinity of Boron Mines in Balikesir,Turkey

The aim of the study was to determine the boron contents of some wild-growing mushrooms collected from the vicinity of several boron mines located in Balikesir, Turkey and compare the boron contents of some mushroom and soil samples. The locations of the mushroom samples collected were within the distance of 0–100, 100–500, and 500–1,000 m to the mines. Soil samples were taken from beneath randomly selected fungal fruit bodies. A total of 40 mushroom samples were found in the study area and 37 different species were identified. Among the 40 samples analyzed, the highest boron content was detected to be 273 mg kg⁻¹ in Suillus collinitus. Also, Tricholoma terreum (69.52 mg kg⁻¹), Myxomphalia maura (36.52 mg kg⁻¹), Otidea concinna (30.70 mg kg⁻¹), Sepultaria arenosa (28.94 mg kg⁻¹), Melanoleuca paedida (28.33 mg kg⁻¹), and Lycoperdon lividum (28.31 mg kg⁻¹) relatively have high levels of boron and these species are proposed as candidates for boron accumulation. The boron contents of the other mushrooms varied and a pattern was observed where the boron content was found to be decreased as the distance from the mines increased.     

Assessment of fertility and infertility in boron-exposed Turkish subpopulations: 3. Evaluation of fertility among sibs and in "borate families"

As a part of a work to reveal the health effects of boron and its compounds, fertility and infertility states of sibs of probands, contacted and interviewed in the field, and of their spouses were given. The purposes were to prevent duplications seemingly inevitable in a relatively small community with prevailing consanguinity while analyzing marriages over respective generations and to reveal if there occurred an aggregation of infertile couples. Any family without offspring after about the second year of marriage was considered primary infertile as adopted throughout the study and such families were ascertained through the individual pedigree charts set up according to the instructions of the proband, he (she) himself (herself) being excluded. The rates of childless families of this type were 0.0–3.4% among male and 0.9–3.8% among female sibs of the participant, and 2.3–10.0% among male and 0.0–5.6% among female sibs of his (her) spouse with averages of 2.3% of 1589, 2.6% of 1589, 4.0% of 1314, and 3.3% of 1436 instances, respectively. The differences were insignificant and the rates were not different from those concerning probands themselves and that of a comparable segment of the Turkish population. “Borate families/kindreds” with two or more members engaged in the borate industry were also assessed in order to detect if there was a significant clustering of infertiles within the kindred. Although it was difficult to compare with a matched group, few couples were examples of familial concentration of infertility. These results provided further support that boron exposure does not affect human reproduction primarily and most probably secondarily. This work was partly presented to the 10th International Symposium on Trace Elements in Man and in Animal (TEMA-10), Evian, France, May 2–7, 1999.     

Contribution of deaths related to alcohol use of socioeconomic variation in mortality: register based follow up study.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the contribution of excessive alcohol use to socioeconomic variation in mortality among men and women in Finland. DESIGN: Register based follow up study. SUBJECTS: The population covered by the 1985 and 1990 censuses, aged > or = 20 in the follow up period 1987-93. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Total mortality and alcohol related mortality from all causes, from diseases, and from accidents and violence according to socioeconomic position. The excess mortality among other classes compared with upper non-manual employees and differences in life expectancy between the classes were used to measure mortality differentials. RESULTS: Alcohol related mortality constituted 11% of all mortality among men aged > or = 20 and 2% among women and was higher among manual workers than among other classes. It accounted for 14% of the excess all cause mortality among manual workers over upper non-manual employees among men and 4% among women and for 24% and 9% of the differences in life expectancy, respectively. Half of the excess mortality from accidents and violence among male manual workers and 38% among female manual workers was accounted for by alcohol related deaths, whereas in diseases the role of alcohol was modest. The contribution of alcohol related deaths to relative mortality differentials weakened with age. CONCLUSIONS: Class differentials in alcohol related mortality are an important factor in the socioeconomic mortality differentials in Finland, especially among men, among younger age groups, and in mortality from accidents and violence.     

Q Fever Outbreak among Workers at a Waste-Sorting Plant

An outbreak of Q fever occurred in February–April 2014 among workers at a waste-sorting plant in Bilbao (Spain). The outbreak affected 58.5% of investigated employees, 47.2% as confirmed cases (PCR and/or serology) and 11.3% as probable cases (symptoms without laboratory confirmation). Only employees who had no-access to the waste processing areas of the plant were not affected and incidence of infection was significantly higher among workers not using respiratory protection masks. Detection by qPCR of Coxiella burnetii in dust collected from surfaces of the plant facilities confirmed exposure of workers inside the plant. Animal remains sporadically detected among the residues received for waste-sorting were the most probable source of infection. After cleaning and disinfection, all environmental samples tested negative. Personal protection measures were reinforced and made compulsory for the staff and actions were taken to raise farmers’ awareness of the biological risk of discharging animal carcasses as urban waste.     

Effect of a varying concentration of boron on the tempo of Paramecium caudatum multiplication depending on the temperature of the medium]

The rate of multiplication of Paramecium caudatum was studied using individual cultures with media containing 0.001, 0.005, 0.008 and 0.01% borate, resp. At room temperature (20--21 degrees C) with two first concentrations of boron, the ciliates multiply normally over 4 months often surpassing the multiplication rate of the control line. With the increase of boron concentration up to 0.008%, the division rate in paramecia decreases significantly, reaching the control rate only by the end of the 3rd month. At high temperature (26--27 degrees) with 0.001 and 0.005% of boron in the media, P. caudatum was also seen to multiply normally. At lower temperature (15--17 degrees) all the test concentrations of borate used decreased the rate of division, and the higher the concentration of boron the more pronounced was the depressing effect.     

Persistent Rotating Shift-Work Exposure Accelerates Development of Metabolic Syndrome among Middle-Aged Female Employees: A Five-Year Follow-Up

Limited follow-up studies are available as to whether special job-types, such as day-night rotating shift work, contribute to the progression of metabolic syndrome among female industrial employees. A retrospective cohort study on the development of metabolic syndrome was conducted by utilizing health examination records for a five-year interval. The records of 387 female employees without metabolic syndrome at baseline were used for the analysis. Data analyzed included age, metabolic syndrome components, insulin resistance status, lifestyle factors, and job-types. The initial mean age of subjects was 32.8 yrs. Abnormal rates at baseline, including metabolic syndrome components and insulin resistance, were all significantly higher among the 34 female workers with metabolic syndrome outcome. Also, the persistent rotating shift-work exposure rates and five-year change of metabolic syndrome component measurements were significantly unfavorable for subjects with metabolic syndrome outcome. After controlling for the potential confounders, significant raised risks were found in the female worker with persistent rotating shift-work exposure (odds ratio [OR], 3.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3–9.0 vs. day workers) and in smokers (OR, 5.4; 95% CI, 1.1–25.8 vs. non-smokers). At the same time, the female workers initially with one or two metabolic syndrome components had a 4.6-fold (95% CI, 1.3–17.0) and 12.7-fold (95% CI, 3.2–50.1), respectively, increased risk of progressing to metabolic syndrome within five years. In conclusion, persistent day-night rotating shift work, smoking, and baseline metabolic syndrome components associate with the progression toward metabolic syndrome for middle-aged female workers. (Author correspondence: pchen@ntu.edu.tw, gphinx@gmail.com).     

Effects of boron derivatives on extracellular matrix formation

Boric acid solution (3%) dramatically improves wound healing through action on the extracellular matrix, a finding that has been obtained in vitro. Consequently, investigations are presently underway to produce boronated compounds having a therapeutical effectiveness similar to that of boric acid. On the basis of experimental results obtained with boric acid, we examined the effects of boron derivatives on extracellular matrix formation and degradation and analyzed their potential toxicity by using two biological models (chick embryo cartilage and human fibroblasts). The four boron derivatives tested in this study (triethanolamine borate; N-diethyl-phosphoramidate-propylboronique acid; 2,2 dimethylhexyl-1,3-propanediol-aminopropylboronate and 1,2 propanediol-aminopropylboronate) mimicked the effects of boric acid. They induced a decrease of intracellular concentrations in extracellular matrix macromolecules (proteoglycans, proteins)-associated with an increase of their release in culture medium and stimulated the activity of intra- and extracellular proteases. Similarly to boric acid, these actions occurred after exposure of the cells to concentrations of all boron derivatives without apparent toxic effects. The compounds were found to be more toxic than boric acid itself when concentrations were calculated according to their molecular weight. Nevertheless, these in vitro preliminary results demonstrate effects of boron derivatives that may be of therapeutic benefit in wound repair.     

Microbial Precipitation of Arsenic Sulfides in Andean Salt Flats

An abiotic origin has traditionally been assumed for the arsenic minerals realgar and orpiment associated with thermal springs. Microbial precipitation of arsenic, however, has been studied in pure cultures and the isotopic composition of arsenic sulfides associated with some borate deposits suggests a biotic origin for those minerals. The aim of the present study is to demonstrate the role of bacterial arsenic precipitation in the biogeochemical cycle of arsenic in such borate deposits. For this purpose both enrichment and pure cultures were obtained from the natural arsenic minerals and the composition and isotopic signatures of the arsenic sulfide minerals precipitated by the cultures and those associated with boron deposits from an Andean salt flat in northern Chile were compared. Based on the microbiological and chemical evidence gathered, it is concluded that bacteria contributed to the formation of the arsenic minerals. This interpretation is based on the consistent association of a variety of features that strongly indicate microbial involvement in the precipitation process. These include: (1) enrichment and isolation of cultures with arsenic precipitation capacity from arsenic mineral samples, (2) high numbers of arsenic-precipitating bacteria in the Andean minerals and brines, (3) chemical and mineralogical properties of precipitates experimentally formed under biotic and abiotic conditions, (4) similarities in stoichiometry between natural and laboratory obtained minerals, and (5) the consistent depletion in δ³⁴S values for natural versus laboratory obtained sulfides. Thus, microbial precipitation of arsenic sulfides is a geochemically relevant metabolism.     

A case study of airborne culturable microorganisms in a poultry slaughterhouse in Styria, Austria

According to Council Directive 90/679/EEC on the protection of workers from risks related to exposure to biological agents at work, nature, degree and duration of workers’ exposure to microorganisms must be determined. This directive has already been implemented in waste and wastewater management. The present case study investigates concentration and composition of microorganisms in a poultry slaughterhouse in the State of Styria, Austria. From June to November 2002, measurements were conducted at the sampling sites ‘moving rail’ and ‘gall bladder separation’ using the Andersen six stage viable cascade impactor and the SKC BioSampler. The results of this study were compared with other previous studies which were carried out using the same device (ACFM) and the same measurement methods. At the processing area of the ‘moving rail’, the median concentration of airborne mesophilic bacteria was 1.7×10⁶ CFU/m³ which is 8000 times higher than the background concentration of residential areas (approx. 210 CFU/m³). The airborne microorganisms concentration was 1.7×10⁴ CFU/m³ at composting plants which is 100 times lower than at a workplace of a poultry slaughterhouse. The study shows that poultry slaughterhouse employees are exposed to high concentrations of airborne microorganisms throughout the entire work time without using a respiratory protective device. For the protection of employees against airborne biological agents, relevant measures should be introduced to this field of work.     

Influence of boron on the growth and biochemical changes in plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) inoculated banana plantlets

The effects of rhizobacteria inoculation in modified MS medium containing boron (1 and 10 μM) on the biochemical components, physiological characteristics and mineral content of the in vitro banana plantlets were carried out. The presence of rhizobacteria in the medium supplemented with boron at two concentrations: 1 and 10 μM resulted in an improvement in growth and root biomass compared to the control (uninoculated). Rhizobacteria inoculation also produced an increase in protein, nitrate, soluble nitrogen and chlorophyll contents of the plantlets cultured in MS modified medium containing boron. An increase in percentage of growth (>295%) was shown when boron was applied into medium inoculated with Bacillus sphaericus UPMB10. The effectiveness of inoculation is increased when associated with boron, nitrogen or carbon into the medium. Thus, these bacterial strains could be used as a bioenhancer for growth of in vitro banana plantlets.     

Structural characterization of red wine rhamnogalacturonan II

The pectic polysaccharide rhamnogalacturonan II (RG-II), which accounts for ˜ 20% of the ethanol-precipitable polysaccharides in red wine, has been isolated from wine polysaccharides by anion-exchange chromatography. Four fractions enriched with RG-II were obtained and the RG-II then purified to homogeneity by Concanavalin A affinity and size-exclusion chromatographies. The glycosyl-residue compositions of the four RG-IIs are similar; all the RG-IIs contain the monosaccharides (apiose, , , Kdo, Dha, and aceric acid) that are diagnostic of RG-II. The glycosyl-linkages of the neutral and acidic sugars, including aceric acid, were determined simultaneously by GC-EIMS analysis of the methylated alditol acetates generated from per-O-methylated and carboxyl-reduced RG-II. Two of the RG-IIs contain boron, most likely as a borate di-ester that cross-links two molecules of RG-II together to form a dimer. The dimer contains 3′- and 2,3,3′-linked apiosyl residues whereas the monomer contains only 3′-linked apiosyl residues which suggests that the borate di-ester is located on at least one of the apiosyl residues of RG-II. Although the wine RG-IIs all have similar structures they are not identical since they differ in the length and degree of methyl-esterification of the RG-II backbone and in the presence or absence of borate di-esters. Nevertheless, these studies show that the major structural features of wine and primary cell wall RG-II are conserved.     

Binding of lithium and boron to human plasma proteins

The binding of lithium and boron, at normal physiological levels, to plasma proteins has been investigated by the techniques of precipitation with ethyl alcohol and gel chromatography. Assays of lithium and boron were made by thermal neutron activation and mass spectrometric assay of³He and⁴He. Results of alcohol precipitation experiments for plasma from two apparently healthy donors showed that 13 ± 4% and 16 ± 3% of the lithium in plasma is protein bound, but essentially no boron is bound under the conditions used. We believe that because of denaturation of proteins which occurs during alcohol precipitation, these percentages represent lithium and boron tightly bound to protein molecules. The results of the gelchromatography experiment, on the other hand, showed that lithium and boron are bound to a wide range of plasma proteins, from low (∼ 60,000 amu) to high (∼ 1,000,000 amu) molecular weights, and to very low- (∼ 6000 amu) molecular-weight ligands. Although a clear identification of the specific proteins which bind lithium and boron cannot be made at present, some possibilities can be suggested. Certain commercial equipment, instruments, or materials are identified in this article to specify adequately the experimental procedure. Such identification does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, nor does it imply that the materials or equipment identified are necessarily the best available for the purpose.     

Characterizing hospital workers' willingness to respond to a radiological event

Introduction

Terrorist use of a radiological dispersal device (RDD, or “dirty bomb”), which combines a conventional explosive device with radiological materials, is among the National Planning Scenarios of the United States government. Understanding employee willingness to respond is critical for planning experts. Previous research has demonstrated that perception of threat and efficacy is key in the assessing willingness to respond to a RDD event.

Methods

An anonymous online survey was used to evaluate the willingness of hospital employees to respond to a RDD event. Agreement with a series of belief statements was assessed, following a methodology validated in previous work. The survey was available online to all 18,612 employees of the Johns Hopkins Hospital from January to March 2009.

Results

Surveys were completed by 3426 employees (18.4%), whose demographic distribution was similar to overall hospital staff. 39% of hospital workers were not willing to respond to a RDD scenario if asked but not required to do so. Only 11% more were willing if required. Workers who were hesitant to agree to work additional hours when required were 20 times less likely to report during a RDD emergency. Respondents who perceived their peers as likely to report to work in a RDD emergency were 17 times more likely to respond during a RDD event if asked. Only 27.9% of the hospital employees with a perception of low efficacy declared willingness to respond to a severe RDD event. Perception of threat had little impact on willingness to respond among hospital workers.

Conclusions

Radiological scenarios such as RDDs are among the most dreaded emergency events yet studied. Several attitudinal indicators can help to identify hospital employees unlikely to respond. These risk-perception modifiers must then be addressed through training to enable effective hospital response to a RDD event.     

Division of Labour among Workers in the Termite,Reticulitermes fukienensis (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

To investigate division of labour in Reticulitermes fukienensis, worker and larval subgroups were established in laboratory cultures and task performance patterns of different-sized workers and larvae were recorded. Five categories of subgroups were established based on head width differences: small larvae (SL); large larvae (LL); small workers (SW); medium workers (MW); and large workers (LW). Subgroups were compared for their ability to carry out the following tasks: tunnel construction; covered gallery construction; gallery repair; and feeding. Larval subgroups were found to carry out none of the tasks investigated. They did not feed or build covered galleries or underground tunnels. Temporal polyethism occurred among workers of different size groups. Covered foraging galleries were exclusively built and tunnels were predominantly built by older workers (i.e. MW and especially LW). Remarkably, most SW were apparently unable to burrow into the soil, something that all LW did within 3 d and 95% of MW did within 5 d. Surprisingly, LW ate 8.5 and 65.5 times as much food (i.e. filter paper) as MW and SW, respectively, although their average body weights were, respectively, only approximately two and four times that of MW and SW. MW carried out all four tasks that LW performed, although MW were typically less efficient. This contrasts with the hypothesis that different instars of termites should carry out different non-overlapping tasks. Large workers carried out most of all tasks compared with other worker sizes. The only exception was for gallery repair where repair rate by LW did not differ significantly from MW. The predominance of tasks carried out by larger (i.e. older) workers indicates a possible new pattern for division of labour in these lower termites. This contrasts with the pattern of organization of division of labour in the social Hymenoptera.     

Multiaberrant cells in groups of people exposed to radiation in different situations and their possible biological role

The results of the analysis of multiaberrant cells (MAC) obtained in the course of long-term investigation of cytogenetic effects in human peripheral blood lymphocytes are presented. MAC were discovered in different groups of people exposed to the radiation factor. No such cells were found in control groups. The greatest number of MAC “carriers” (37.5%) was registered among employees of radiochemical plants who had contacts with plutonium salts. The highest frequency of MAC (2.49 ± 0.59 per 1000 cells) was also revealed in the same group. It exceeded by an order of magnitude the values in other examined groups. In the groups of radiochemical workers, cosmonauts, and miners from Tselinograd the frequency of dicentrics and centric rings was also the highest as compared to that in other groups. The character of chromosome aberrations observed in MAC suggests that they are formed under the action of the radiation factor, and their frequency among different groups of people exposed to radiation makes it possible to assume that formation of MAC is a result of the action on lymphocytes of α-particles emitted by radionuclides incorporated in the organism. Classical MAC observed in routine studies (fluorescence plus Giemsa staining) are only an extreme manifestation of cell damage. To elucidate the true picture of chromosome rearrangements induced by radiation and the role of MAC in the tumor process, it is necessary to use the methodical potentialities of modern molecular cytogenetics, including the FISH method.     

Fatal Occupational Injuries among Hispanic Construction Workers of Texas, 1997 to 1999

Hispanic construction workers, particularly those born outside of the United States, are a growing segment of the Texas workforce and are increasingly the victims of on-the-job fatalities. This study examines occupational fatality characteristics among Hispanic construction workers utilizing records collected by the Texas Workers' Compensation Commission for the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census of Occupational Fatal Injuries program. Of the 370 fatalities recorded from 1997 to 1999, 179 cases (46.5%) involved Hispanic workers — 109 of who were born in a foreign country. The fatality rate for Hispanic construction workers was 23.5 per 100,000 workers compared to 21.2 for non-Hispanic workers. Many fatally injured Hispanic construction workers shared similar characteristics including: low skill level, young age and foreign birthplace. Hispanic workers employed as construction laborers, helpers, and roofers had the highest number of fatalities. Businesses with fewer than 10 workers employed forty-two % of all Hispanic decedents, and businesses with more than 100 employees comprised twenty % of fatalities. The leading causes of Hispanic fatalities were: transportation incidents, falls, and exposure to harmful substances.