International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health – Nasopharynx cancers and sinonasal cancers are two cancers that can be caused by occupational exposure to wood dust, but there is little evidence regarding their burden in Canada. Authors of this study estimated that from 235 newly diagnosed cases of nasopharynx cancers and 245 newly diagnosed cases of sinonasal cancers, 4.6% and 4.4% were attributed to occupational exposure to wood dust, respectively.

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National Observer – A new law could soon see toxic chemicals undergo more rigorous assessments aimed at better protecting vulnerable Canadians, the Trudeau government has announced. The proposed bill would bring in sweeping changes to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). It would fast-track the regulatory process for particularly harmful chemicals, making it easier to restrict their use; encourage companies to avoid toxic chemicals entirely; and force manufacturers to be more transparent about the chemicals used in their products. Under the proposed bill, the federal government would “recognize” that every Canadian has a right to a healthy environment and have a duty to protect it.

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International Atomic Energy Agency​ – The newly released IAEA report No. 104 Radiation Protection and Safety in Veterinary Medicine from the Safety Report Series, provides advice for professionals in veterinary uses of radiation to help them safely carry out their work. “In a fragmented regulatory landscape with different training requirements, this document is a clear step forward in the harmonization of the use of radiation sources in veterinary medicine,” said Kathelijne Peremans, a European specialist in veterinary diagnostic imaging based at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Ghent University, Belgium.

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National Observer – Air pollutants have cost Canada $120 billion per year, according to recently released figures from Health Canada, a toll that roughly equals the value of all oil and gas exports. The health burden from pollutants in the air that come from industrial activities like oil and gas extraction, mining, manufacturing, construction, and transportation — as well as natural events like forest fires — contributed to 15,300 premature Canadian deaths in 2016, the most recent year figures are available.

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Nature – Residential buildings can concentrate radioactive radon gas, exposing occupants to particle radiation that increases lung cancer risk. This has worsened over time in North America, with newer residences containing greater radon. Notably, residences built in the twenty-first century are occupied by significantly younger people experiencing greater radiation dose rates from radon (mean age of 46 at 5.01 mSv/y), relative to older groups more likely to occupy twentieth century-built properties (mean age of 53 at 3.45–4.22 mSv/y). Newer, higher radon-containing properties are also more likely to have minors, pregnant women and an overall higher number of occupants living there full time.

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