Background: Despite concerns over the harmful health effects of semiconductor production, epidemiological studies have shown mixed results.
Objectives: We aim to critically appraise epidemiologic studies to date, and to suggest future research and actions to protect workers in semiconductor industry.
Methods: Epidemiologic studies were identified through electronic database searches, review of reference lists of relevant published works, and expert consultations, and were narratively reviewed.
Results: Most evidence suggests reproductive risks from fabrication jobs, including spontaneous abortion (SAB), congenital malformation, and reduced fertility. Although chemicals have been suspected as causal agents, knowledge of the likely contribution(s) from specific exposures is still limited. Evidence of cancer risk seems to be equivocal. However, the available studies had serious limitations including healthy worker effects (HWEs), information bias, and insufficient power, all of which are associated with underestimation. Nevertheless, excess risks for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), leukemia, brain tumor, and breast cancer were observed.
Conclusions: Monitoring and innovative research based on international collaboration with a focus on sentinel events are required.
Keywords: Adverse reproductive outcomes,; Cancer,; Epidemiology,; Healthy worker effect,; Information bias,; Semiconductor,; Statistical power.