A new report from the Nordic Expert Group (NEG) and the Dutch Expert DECOS committee has evaluated the health hazards and calculated cancer risk of occupational exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS). Several experts from Karolinska Institutet participated in the report.

A new report from the Nordic Expert Group (NEG) and the Dutch Expert DECOS committee has evaluated the health hazards and calculated cancer risk of occupational exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS). Several experts from Karolinska Institutet participated in the report.

Two cancer risk levels were calculated:

  • Four additional deaths of lung cancer per 100,000 workers after 40 years of occupational exposure at 0.0004 mg/m3 (low risk level, no extra protective measures need to be taken).

  • Four additional deaths of lung cancer per 1,000 workers for 40 years of occupational exposure at 0.04 mg/m3 (high risk level that should not be exceeded).

These recommended risk levels are considerably lower than the current legal occupational exposure limits in the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden.

Respirable crystalline silica

https://gupea.ub.gu.se/handle/2077/83372