Work-Related Respirable Crystalline Silica Exposure and Lung Cancer Risk

Prevention measures should be taken to protect workers who are exposed to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) from lung cancer risk.

Researchers assessed a systemic review of 20 studies found using the PubMed database and an online search of RCS limits set by institutional organizations. They sought to determine the cutoff points that could affect risk of mortality or incidence of lung cancer from occupational RCS exposure.

Exposure level limits set in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Japan, Spain, The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States were reviewed. Researchers found that regulatory agencies set annual RCS exposure limits ranging from 0.025 mg/m³ through 0.100 mg/m³.

The review included more than 250,000 individuals from the studies, and mining was the most frequent occupational industry.

Julia Rey-Brandariz, MD, and colleagues determined no significant association for RCS exposure categories. However, they did find a low risk of lung cancer for mean concentrations of less than 0.07 mg/m³.

“There is a wide degree of heterogeneity in RCS exposure categories,” the researchers said. They also acknowledged limitations to the study, such as age of individuals, differences in RCS, and tobacco exposure.