Introduction: Exposure to environmental particulate matter (PM) has been shown to increase  morbidity and all-cause mortality. However, the influence on mortality of exposure to dust, gases and fumes in occupational setting has been less studied. Our aim was to analyse the effect of such exposure on diseases specific mortality, estimating exposure by Job-exposure Matrix.

Methods: The data source is the Helsinki part of the population-based FinEsS-study (n=6062) on respiratory symptoms and diseases including information on occupation, age, sex, tobacco smoking combined with death registry information given as International Classification of Diseases version 10 (ICD10) codes. We were able to categorize 5271 individuals to exposure groups based on occupation titles. We compared mortality in an adjusted competing-risks regression analysis for disease-specific survival with a 24-year follow-up, giving sub-hazard ratios (sHR) comparable to risk.

Results: Compared to the no-exposure group, the high occupational exposure group had (sHR) of 1.7 (95% CI 1.3-2.2) for all circulatory system related and sHR 2.1 (1.5-3.9) for Ischaemic heart disease (ICD10: I20-I25) related mortality. It also had sHR 1.7(1.0-2.8) for Dementia (ICD10: F01, F03 or G30) related mortality, sHR 1.7(1.2-2.4) for all respiratory system related mortality and sHR 2.65 (1.5-4.6) for Chronic lower respiratory disease (ICD10: J40-J47) related mortality.

Conclusion: Occupational exposure to dusts, gases and fumes increased the mortality related to cardiovascular, respiratory, and dementia diseases in the follow-up. This emphasizes the need for minimizing occupational respiratory exposure to dust, gases, and fumes.