IARC carcinogen update.We recently published an article in which we presented a list of occupational carcinogens Carcinogens Substances in the environment that cause cancer, presumably by inducing mutations, with prolonged exposure. Mentioned in: Colon Cancer, Rectal Cancer (Siemiatycki et al. 2004), based on the International Agency for Research on Cancer The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC, or CIRC in its French acronym) is an intergovernmental agency forming part of the World Health Organisation of the United Nations. Its main offices are in Lyon, France. (IARC) Monographs Program. Our review covered Volumes 1-83 of the IARC Monographs. However, because the IARC Monograph Program is ongoing, the list of occupational carcinogens will need to be periodically updated. Since we completed our article, there have been three Monograph meetings that addressed substances that can be classified as occupational; therefore, we would like to notify readers of some important changes in the list of occupational carcinogens. Table 1 shows summary information about occupational substances and mixtures that were recently evaluated by IARC as human carcinogens (group 1), probable human carcinogens (group 2A), or possible human carcinogens (group 2B). As we did in our earlier article (Siemiatycki et al. 2004), we added to the IARC evaluations our assessment of the main occupations in which the agent may be found and the target organ target organ n. A tissue or organ that is affected by a specific hormone. target organ, n the organ or body part whose activity levels demonstrate change in the course of biofeedback. for carcinogenicity carcinogenicity /car·ci·no·ge·nic·i·ty/ (kahr?si-no-je-nis´i-te) the ability or tendency to produce cancer. carcinogenicity the ability or tendency to produce cancer. . Volume 86 focuses on cobalt Cobalt, town, Canada Cobalt (kō`bôlt), town (1991 pop. 1,470), E Ont., Canada, NE of Sudbury, near Lake Timiskaming. Once a center for cobalt and silver mining, the area is now economically depressed. in hard-metals and cobalt sulfate sulfate, chemical compound containing the sulfate (SO4) radical. Sulfates are salts or esters of sulfuric acid, H2SO4, formed by replacing one or both of the hydrogens with a metal (e.g., sodium) or a radical (e.g., ammonium or ethyl). , gallium arsenide An alloy of gallium and arsenic compound (GaAs) that is used as the base material for chips. Several times faster than silicon, it is used in high frequency applications such as cellphones, DVD players and fiber optics. , indium indium (ĭn`dēəm), a metallic chemical element; symbol In; at. no. 49; at. wt. 114.82; m.p. 156.6°C;; b.p. about 2,080°C;; sp. gr. 7.31 at 20°C;; valence +1, +2, or +3. phosphide phosphide Any of a class of chemical compounds in which phosphorous is combined with a metal. Phosphides exhibit a wide variety of chemical and physical properties. Phosphides that are rich in metal have high melting points and are hard, brittle, and chemically inert; these , and vanadium pentoxide vanadium pentoxide n. A yellow to red crystalline powder, V2O5, used as a catalyst in various organic reactions and as a starting material for other vanadium salts. Also called vanadic acid. Noun 1. (IARC, in press a) In our article (Siemiatycki et al. 2004), cobalt and cobalt compounds were listed as Group 2B human carcinogens. In IARC's recent evaluation (IARC, in press a), cobalt metal with tungsten carbide tungsten carbide n. An extremely hard, fine gray powder whose composition is WC, used in tools, dies, wear-resistant machine parts, and abrasives. is classified in Group 2A, whereas cobalt metal without tungsten carbide, cobalt sulfate, and other soluble soluble /sol·u·ble/ (sol´u-b'l) susceptible of being dissolved. sol·u·ble adj. Capable of being dissolved, especially easily dissolved. cobalt(II) salts remain in Group 2B. Three substances for which there were no previous IARC evaluations have now been evaluated and classified: gallium arsenide is classified as a Group I human carcinogen carcinogen: see cancer. carcinogen Agent that can cause cancer. Exposure to one or more carcinogens, including certain chemicals, radiation, and certain viruses, can initiate cancer under conditions not completely understood. , indium phosphide as a Group 2A (probable) human carcinogen, and vanadium pentoxide as a Group 2B (possible) human carcinogen (IARC, in press a). Volume 87 (IARC, in press b) updates the prior evaluations on inorganic inorganic /in·or·gan·ic/ (in?or-gan´ik) 1. having no organs. 2. not of organic origin. in·or·gan·ic n. 1. and organic lead compounds, which were included in Volume 23 (IARC 1980) and in Supplement 7 (IARC 1987). Previously, lead and inorganic lead compounds were classified in Group 2B, whereas organic lead compounds were classified in Group 3. The most recent IARC evaluation results in an upgrading of inorganic lead compounds to Group 2A; organic lead compounds remain in Group 3 (IARC, in press b). The Working Group, however, noted that part of the organic lead is metabolized into ionic i·on·ic adj. Of, containing, or involving an ion or ions. ionic pertaining to an ion or ions. ionic medication iontophoresis. lead, which would be expected to present the same toxicity toxicity /tox·ic·i·ty/ (tok-sis´i-te) the quality of being poisonous, especially the degree of virulence of a toxic microbe or of a poison. as inorganic lead. In Volume 88, formaldehyde formaldehyde (fôrmăl`dəhīd'), HCHO, the simplest aldehyde. It melts at −92°C;, boils at −21°C;, and is soluble in water, alcohol, and ether; at STP, it is a flammable, poisonous, colorless gas with a suffocating was upgraded from a Group 2A (probable) to a Group 1 human carcinogen (IARC, in press c; Cogliano et al. 2005). The other two substances covered by this monograph, 2-butoxyethanol and 1-tert-butoxy-2-propanol, are evaluated as Group 3 (not classifiable). The authors declare they have no competing financial interests. REFERENCES Cogliano VJ, Grosse Y, Baan RA, Straif K, Secretan MB, El Ghissassi F, and the Working Group for Volume 88. 2005. Summary of IARC Monographs on Formaldehyde, 2-Butoxyethanol, and 1-tert-Butoxy-2-Propanoh Environ Health Perspect 113:1205-1208. IARC. 1980. Some Metals and Metallic Compounds. IARC Monogr Eval Carcinog Risk Chem Hum hum (hum) a low, steady, prolonged sound. venous hum a continuous blowing, singing, or humming murmur heard on auscultation over the right jugular vein in the sitting or erect position; it is 23. IARC. 1987. Overall Evaluations of Carcinogenicity: An Updating of IARC Monographs Volumes 1 to 42. IARC Monogr Eval Carcinog Risk Chem Hum(suppl 7). IARC. 2004. Some Drinking-Water Disinfectants and Contaminants, Including Arsenic arsenic (är`sənĭk), a semimetallic chemical element; symbol As; at. no. 33; at. wt. 74.9216; m.p. 817°C; (at 28 atmospheres pressure); sublimation point 613°C;; sp. gr. (stable form) 5.73; valence −3, 0, +3, or +5. . IARC Monogr Eval Carcinog Risk Hum 84. IARC. In press a. Cobalt in Hard-metals and Cobalt Sulfate, Gallium Arsenide, Indium Phosphide and Vanadium Pentoxide. IARC Monogr Eval Carcinog Risks Hum 86. IARC. In press b. Inorganic and Organic Lead Compounds. IARC Monogr Eval Carcinog Risks Hum 87. IARC. In press c. Formaldehyde, 2-Butoxyethanol and 1-tert-Butoxy-2-propanol. IARC Monogr Eval Carcinog Risks Hum 88. Siemiatycki J, Richardson L, Straif K, Latreille B, Lakhani R, Campbell S Campbell, city, United States Campbell, city (1990 pop. 36,048), Santa Clara co., W Calif., in the fertile Santa Clara valley; founded 1885, inc. 1952. , et al. 2004. Listing occupational carcinogens. Environ Health Perspect 112:1447-1459. Marie-Claude Rousseau INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, Universite du Quebec Montreal, Quebec, Canada E-mail: marie-claude.rousseau@iaf.inrs.ca Kurt Straif International Agency for Research on Cancer Lyon, France E-mail: straif@iarc.fr Jack Siemiatycki Universite de Montreal Montreal, Quebec, Canada E-mail: j.siemiatycki@umontreal.ca
Table 1. Substances and mixtures that have been evaluated
by IARC as human carcinogens and that are occupational
exposures, based on Monograph Volumes 84-90.
Occupation or industry in which
Substance or mixture the substance is found (a)
Cobalt metal with Production of cemented carbides
tungsten carbide (hard-metal industry), tool
grinders; saw filers;
diamond polishers
Cobalt metal without Miners; production of alloys;
tungsten carbide processing of copper
and nickel ore; glass and
ceramic production;
welders of cobalt-
containing alloys
Cobalt sulfate and other Electroplating and ceramic
soluble cobalt(II) industries
salts
Gallium arsenide Production; microelectronics
industry (integrated
circuits and optoelectronic
devices)
Indium phosphide Production, microelectronics
industry (integrated
circuits and optoelectronic
devices)
Vanadium pentoxide Ore refining and processing;
chemical manufacturing
industry; maintenance of oil-fired
boilers and furnaces
Inorganic lead Lead smelters, plumbers,
compounds solderers; occupations in
battery recycling smelters,
production of lead-acid
batteries; printing press
occupations, pigment production;
construction and demolition
Formaldehyde Production, pathologists; medical
laboratory technicians;
plastics; textile and plywood industry
IARC IARC
Substance or mixture Site(s) classification Monograph
Cobalt metal with Lung (b) 2A 86
tungsten carbide
Cobalt metal without Uncertain 2B 86
tungsten carbide
Cobalt sulfate and other Uncertain 2B 86
soluble cobalt(II)
salts
Gallium arsenide Uncertain 1 (c) 86
Indium phosphide Uncertain 2A (d) 86
Vanadium pentoxide Uncertain 2B 86
Inorganic lead Lung (b) 2A 87
compounds Stomach (b)
Formaldehyde Nasopharynx (e) 1 88
Leukemia (b)
Nasal sinuses (b)
(a) Not necessarily an exhaustive list of occupations/industries
in which this agent is found; not all workers in these
occupations/industries are exposed. The term "production"
is used to indicate that this substance is man-made
and that workers may be exposed in the production
process. (b) We judged that the evidence for
an association with this site was suggestive.
(c) In reaching an overall evaluation of Group 1, the
working group noted the potential for gallium arsenide
to cause cancer through releases of a small amount of
its arsenic, which behaves as inorganic arsenic at the
sites where it is distributed. Arsenic and arsenic compounds
have been evaluated as IARC Group 1, carcinogenic to humans.
For arsenic in drinking water, the most recent ARC evaluation
of arsenic [Volume 84; (ARC 2004)], there was sufficient
evidence in humans that arsenic causes cancers of the urinary
bladder, lung, and skin; the evidence for cancers of the
liver and kidney was limited. (d) Absence of data on cancer
in humans; the final evaluation for carcinogenicity was
upgraded from 2B to 2A based on evidence of carcinogenicity
in experimental animals. (e) The evidence was sufficient.
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