CARCINOGENIC EFFECTS OF WOOD DUST - REVIEW AND DISCUSSION

Occupational exposure to wood dust (alone or chemically treated) is as sociated with an increased risk of developing adenocarcinoma of the na sal cavity. The specific causative agents, i.e., wood dust alone (natu ral products), wood dust with additives used in the processing or manu facturing of wood products, and/or physical determinants of wood dust and the associated risk factors, are not known or understood. The stro ngest association of exposure to wood dust and development of nasal ca ncer is observed in those occupations where workers are exposed to har d wood dust and chemical additives are not used. The time between firs t occupational exposure to wood dust and the development of adenocarci noma of the nasal cavity averages 40 years (range 7-70 years). The epi demiological data available are not sufficient to make a definitive as sessment between wood dust exposure and increased fisk for cancer othe r than nasal cancer. The toxicity, mutagenicity, and carcinogenicity o f wood dust to laboratory animals or in vitro with animal or microbial cells have not been thoroughly studied. Thus there is no direct exper imental evidence on the potential hazards of wood dust. Data are insuf ficient or lacking on 1) wood dust exposure levels in ambient air and worker's breathing zone, and the deposition in the nasal cavity; 2) ha rd vs. soft wood dusts; 3) particle size and shape; 4) chemical compos ition of wood dust and the extent of contamination with chemical addit ives; and 5) interaction between inhaled wood dust, chronic irritation , and tobacco smoking. These data are required so that one can underst and the association between wood dust exposure and nasal cavity tumors , along with demographic differences in cancer rates, and to develop s trategies for intervention and reduction of disease causing agents in order to reduce risk to wood industry workers. (C) 1993 Wiley-Liss, In c.