New 30,000-worker study confirms silica as carcinogen
Findings back OSHA’s new proposed silica exposure rule
A newly published study of Chinese tin and pottery workers has found that exposure to airborne silica dust is associated with a significant increase in the risk of developing lung cancer. The findings in the study, which measured cumulative silica exposure in a group of more than 30,000 workers over a 44-year period, confirm that silica is a human carcinogen and are consistent with the preliminary risk assessment in OSHA's new proposed rule to protect workers from occupational exposure to crystalline silica.
Although crystalline silica has been classified as a human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France, few previous studies have provided quantitative data on silica exposure, silicosis, and/or smoking.