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The Quartz Hazard in the Construction Industry

Department of Fibre & Particle Toxicology, Medical Institute for Environmental Hygiene, Düsseldorf, Germany

Ken Donaldson

Department of Biological Sciences, Napier University, Edinburgh, UK

An IARC Working Group has classified crystalline silica (quartz) as a group 1 carcinogen. This classification was mainly based on the epidemiological evidence published in the last decade, including positive studies on workers in the construction industry. The conclusions of the working party were not unanimous with disagreement based on several issues and a qualification was added to the classification. A recent review has considered the apparent conflicting findings of cancer incidence in quartz-exposed industries and pointed out that the bio logical reactivity of quartz can be modified by a range of substances. This suggests that for risk assessment quartz cannot be dealt with as a single hazard entity, like most other chemicals. Although there is little data on exposure and health effects from the construction indus try, this paper tries to give some information on hazard and risk assessment for the type of quartz containing dusts which are found.

Key Words: Construction • Quartz • Mixed dust • Exposure control

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