IN THIS ISSUE

Spotlight on cancer misinformation and disinformation – New publication and grant to combat online cancer mis- and disinformation 
Team update – CAREX Canada is pleased to welcome new team member Emily Heer
Community profiles – Industrial benzene emissions in Aamjiwnaang First Nation
Communications update – CAREX Canada invites you to join us on LinkedIn
Partner updates – Newly released Canadian Cancer Statistics and an upcoming EPICOH conference

SPOTLIGHT ON CANCER MISINFORMATION AND DISINFORMATION

New publication and grant to combat online cancer misinformation

Misinformation and disinformation about cancer risks, prevention, and treatment is becoming more common, especially in online spaces. Misinformation is false information that is not intended to cause harm (though it may still do so), while disinformation is false information that is intended to cause harm and mislead people. Our team is working to better understand the impact this has on Canadians and develop strategies that will combat online untruths about cancer prevention and treatment.

We recently published a new study on Canadians’ knowledge of cancer risk factors and belief in cancer myths. This research showed that while Canadians were able to identify some well-known cancer risk factors, such as tobacco smoke and sun exposure, they also believed many cancer myths and were unable to recognize other important risk factors. This highlights the need for further investigation to understand and address cancer mis- and disinformation.

Our Principal Investigator Dr. Cheryl Peters was awarded a Challenge Grant from the Canadian Cancer Society to further examine online cancer mis- and disinformation and health literacy in Canada. Alongside co-investigators Professor Timothy Caulfield and Dr. Lin Yang, our research team will investigate how people in Canada access cancer prevention and treatment information and what drives cancer-related mis- and disinformation from online sources. We’ll also be developing a digital strategy with the Canadian Cancer Society to support community partners in combating cancer mis- and disinformation. Read more about this upcoming work on the BC Centre for Disease Control website here, and stay tuned for the results in upcoming newsletters.

Dr. Cheryl Peters and Professor Timothy Caulfield will be also joining Dr. Thomas Piggot, Krishana Sankar, and Marco Zenone in an upcoming webinar, Supporting Patients and Providers in a Sea of Health Misinformation, on June 27, 2024. This free accredited educational session is is open to all health professionals who want to learn how to help patients navigate health misinformation and access recommended resources. Click here to register.

TEAM UPDATE

Welcome Emily

The CAREX team is pleased to welcome our new Senior Research Coordinator Emily Heer! Based at the University of British Columbia, Emily has a background in cancer epidemiology, specifically focusing on cancer prevention and reducing disparities in underserved populations. Emily joins the CAREX team to identify the effects of climate change-related extreme weather events on the health of workers in Canada, as well as supporting our work on cancer mis-and disinformation. Her full biography can be found on Our Team page.

COMMUNITY PROFILES

Industrial benzene emissions in the Aamjiwnaang First Nation

As a part of our ongoing commitment to Indigeneity, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (IEDI), we are featuring a new “Community Profiles” section in our newsletter. This space will be devoted to uplifting and raising the profile of communities that may be at greater risk of exposure to carcinogens, or who have recently made progress in finding solutions to combat exposures.

This past April, Aamjiwnaang First Nation declared a state of emergency due to the recorded high levels of benzene in their community. While this is not the first time that the Nation’s air quality has been impacted by nearby industrial pollution, this is the first time Aamjiwnaang have issued an emergency order, with a subsequent Notice of Violation issued by the Nation days later.

Benzene is a known carcinogen associated with leukemia, and can also cause other health concerns including headaches, drowsiness, anaemia, and neuropathies. While there is currently no set hourly limit for benzene, Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks (MECP) has set the annual average limit at 0.45 ug/m³. On April 25^th, one of Aamjiwnaang’s air monitors registered a benzene level of 191 ug/m³.

On the heels of a province-led air exposure review of the Aamjiwnaang and Sarnia area that recommended the MECP “require improved environmental performance and reduced emissions of benzene from local industrial sources”, this latest peak in benzene emissions is evidence that more can done to protect Aamjiwnaang citizens from environmental harm.

In mid-May, the federal government issued an Interim Order to the petrochemical industry in Sarnia, requiring some facilities registering excessive benzene readings to implement vapour-control measures to reduce emissions in the region. The Order was in effect for 14 days, and the Governor in Council approved an extension to the Order for up to two years. The government of Canada is also working to finalize the Reduction in the Release of Volatile Organic Compounds (Storage and Loading of Volatile Petroleum Liquids) Regulations by winter 2024-2025, which would outline the requirements of the petroleum and petrochemical industries to control and lower volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, including benzene.

To read more about CAREX Canada’s previous work with the Aamjiwnaang First Nation, click here. To learn more about exposure to benzene, visit our profile.

COMMUNICATIONS UPDATE

CAREX Canada is now on LinkedIn

We’ve joined LinkedIn! Follow us here for news and information on exposures to occupational and environmental carcinogens, updates on our work, upcoming events, and more. Please share with your networks – we look forward to connecting with you there!

Don’t have LinkedIn? You can also keep in touch with us on X @CAREXCanada or by subscribing to our newsletters, including our monthly Carcinogens in the News digest.

PARTNER UPDATES

Newly released Canadian Cancer Statistics and upcoming EPICOH Early Career conference

The Canadian Cancer Society has released their 2024 Canadian Cancer Statistics publication, which provides projected estimates of new cancer cases and deaths by sex and geographic region for over 20 cancer types. An estimated 247,100 new cancer cases and 88,100 deaths are expected in 2024, with lung, breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers projected to be the most common cancers. Cancer continues to be the number one cause of death in Canada, highlighting the importance of prevention.

Our colleagues at the Occupational Cancer Research Centre (OCRC) are helping to organize the upcoming Scientific Committee on Epidemiology in Occupational Health (EPICOH) Early Career Conference in Barcelona, Spain on November 4^th and 5^th, 2024. The conference serves as a platform for early career researchers and professionals in the field of occupational epidemiology, industrial hygiene, and occupational health to exchange ideas, share insights, and foster collaboration. The abstract deadline is June 15^th, 2024. Learn more and register here.

Please note that the CAREX Canada e-Bulletin is now a bi-annual digest. For more regular communications from us, please subscribe to Carcinogens in the News, a monthly digest of media articles, government reports, and academic literature related to the carcinogens we’ve classified as important for surveillance in Canada.

IN THIS ISSUE

Spotlight on wildfire smoke – The International Agency for Research on Cancer evaluates occupational exposure as a firefighter and finds increased risk of bladder cancer and mesothelioma 
CAREX news – New grant awarded to study workers exposed to climate change related extreme weather events
Team update – CAREX Canada is pleased to welcome new team member, Emma Quinn
Recent publications – Recently published articles on CAREX research
Communications updates – Dr. Peters’ presentation at the Canadian Mesothelioma Foundation and three stories from our Carcinogens in the News digest

SPOTLIGHT ON WILDFIRE SMOKE

Wildfires are intensifying in Canada, increasing the risk of adverse health effects for wildland firefighters

Wildfires are not a recent phenomenon in Canada, though the frequency and severity of fires are on the rise, as climate change continues to intensify weather conditions that increase the risk of wildfires. Of particular concern are the elevated rates of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in smoke, as well as other known or suspected carcinogens including benzene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and others.

Wildfire smoke can cause adverse health effects, and some populations, namely wildland firefighters, are at higher risk of these adverse health effects due to their proximity, increased respiration and at times, inadequate respiratory protection. The International Agency for Research on Cancer recently evaluated Occupational Exposure as a Firefighter and published a Monograph reviewing the evidence from epidemiological, animal, and mechanistic studies to assess the carcinogenic hazard to humans of occupational exposure as a firefighter. The Monograph concluded that occupational exposures experienced in firefighting increase the risk of bladder cancer and mesothelioma.

While the Government of Canada continues to update and enhance resources for the general public for staying safe in the midst of wildfire season, there have been questions raised about whether the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI), the primary tool for measuring air quality in Canada, incorporates emerging knowledge about wildfire smoke. Our wildfire smoke summary is available here.

CAREX NEWS

New grant awarded to study workers exposed to climate change related extreme weather events

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Catalyst Grant will bring together experts at Toronto Metropolitan University, Health Canada, the National Public Health Institute of Quebec, Carleton University, CAREX Canada, the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety and WorkSafeBC. This research will follow our tested CAREX approach, in a novel new setting to estimate the proportions of workers exposed to climate change related extreme weather events across Canada. This research will also strengthen connections between researchers, occupational health organizations and governments in an effort to protect workers from the effects of the changing climate.

TEAM UPDATE

The CAREX Canada team is pleased to welcome new team member Emma Quinn

Based at the University of Calgary, Emma recently graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Master of Science in Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. Emma has a deep interest in how occupational and environmental factors influence human health and has previously worked with CAREX Canada on research related to COVID-19 misinformation, occupational exposures of young workers and ionizing radiation exposure. Emma is currently exploring how sex and gender impact occupational cancer risk. Emma’s full biography can be found on our About Us page.

PUBLICATIONS

Our team recently published journal articles on CAREX-related research, including:

• A study on the changing activity patterns of Canadians since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the resulting elevated exposure to radioactive radon gas inhaled within in indoor residential settings.
• A systematic review looking at the potential association between low-dose ionizing radiation and ischemic heart disease mortality in occupational settings.

A full list of our publications is available here.

COMMUNICATIONS UPDATES

Webinar recording of Dr. Peters and Dr. Demers’ recent presentation about mesothelioma in Canada

Dr. Cheryl Peters and Dr. Paul Demers recently presented at the Canadian Mesothelioma Foundation’s 2023 Canadian Mesothelioma Conference in Toronto. In the lead up to the conference, they hosted a webinar to talk about current patterns of mesothelioma in Canada, the risk of exposure to asbestos and preventing future disease. To learn more about exposure to asbestos and mesothelioma visit our asbestos profile on our website. 

Top stories form our Carcinogens in the News digest

We’re featuring three stories that appeared in our Carcinogens in the News digest:

• The Canadian Cancer Society recently released Canadian Cancer Statistics 2023 which provides detailed statistics on incidence, mortality and survival for over 20+ cancer types. An estimated 239,100 new cancer cases and 86,700 cancer deaths are expected in Canada in 2023. The most commonly diagnosed cancer is estimated to be lung overall, colorectal in males and breast in females.
• The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) have released a climate change handbook for safety professionals in response to growing concerns over the impact of climate change on workers. The handbook offers guidance on how to identify, assess and control climate-related risks that could affect occupational health and safety.
• The Ontario government have pledged to create Canada’s first-ever Occupational Exposure Registry to track harmful exposure levels, improve worker compensation, help diagnose workplace illnesses faster, and reduce costs to the healthcare system.

Other stories and reports can be viewed on our Carcinogens in the News page. To sign up for monthly Carcinogens in the News digest, visit our Subscribe page.

IN THIS ISSUE

Spotlight on diesel engine exhaust exposure – New special topics page highlights CAREX Canada’s research on diesel engine exhaust
Recent publications – Inequalities in environmental carcinogen exposures, sun safety messages for outdoor workers, occupational radon estimates, and surveillance of solar radiation-induced skin cancers
CAREX news – New grants awarded to study shade inequities in playgrounds, tailored sun safety messages for construction workers, communication of radon risk among First Nations communities 
Team update – Dr. Larsen’s changing role 
Communications updates  – Recent stories from our Carcinogens in the News digest

SPOTLIGHT ON DIESEL ENGINE EXHAUST

New special topics page highlights CAREX Canada’s research on diesel engine exhaust

CAREX Canada has developed a special topics page to highlight our resources on diesel engine exhaust, a carcinogen we identified as a high priority for exposure reduction. The special topics page features our occupational and environmental exposure estimates, maps of the predicted levels of diesel engine exhaust in outdoor air, and a webinar on diesel engine exhaust exposure and reduction in the workplace, presented in partnership with the Occupational Cancer Research Centre and the Ontario Occupational Disease Action Plan.

Research on setting an occupational exposure limit for diesel engine exhaust in Canadian workplaces is also presented. This includes a report that describes the regulatory landscape and key barriers and facilitators to setting occupational exposure limits in Canada, as well as a policy analysis to understand how an occupational exposure limit policy for diesel engine exhaust was developed and actioned for mines in Ontario.

The special topics page is available here.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Inequalities in environmental carcinogen exposures, sun safety messages for outdoor workers, occupational radon estimates, and surveillance of solar radiation-induced skin cancers

Our team recently published journal articles on CAREX-related research, including:

• A study to develop tailored, practical, harm-reducing sun safety messages that will better support outdoor workers and their employers in reducing the risk of solar UVR exposure and UVR-related occupational illnesses.
• A scoping review to assess inequalities in environmental cancer risk and carcinogen exposures, which identified four main themes: air pollution and hazardous substances, access to tobacco, access to healthy foods, and other aspects of the built environment (e.g.., greenspace, walkability).
• A description of the prevalence and levels of exposure for occupational radon exposure in Canada, which found that a significant number of workers exceed the WHO’s and Health Canada’s radon guidelines for indoor environments.
• An investigation on best practices, barriers and facilitators for creating an occupational sun exposure or skin cancer surveillance system for outdoor workers. Key barriers include underreporting and under-funding, while vital facilitators include collaboration and communication, and simple reporting processes.

A full list of our publications is available here.

CAREX NEWS

New grants awarded to study shade inequalities in playgrounds, tailored sun safety messages for construction workers, communication of radon risk among First Nations communities

CAREX Canada researchers and collaborators, led by Principal Investigator Dr. Cheryl Peters and Senior Investigator Dr. Kristian Larsen, were recently awarded funding to expand our research on:

• Assessing inequities in access to shade in playgrounds in Vancouver. This work is funded by the Provincial Health Services Authority.
• Mobilizing tailored sun safety messages in the construction industry. This work is funded by WorkSafeBC’s Applied Innovation program and brings together experts from the Sun Safety at Work Canada Working Group.
• Developing culturally appropriate, evidence-based tools to support community members from Kanesatake First Nation to understand risks associated with radon exposure. This work is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Planning and Dissemination program and will be conducted in partnership with members from Kanesatake First Nation, the Food, Environment, Health and Nutrition of First Nations Children and Youth (FEHNCY) research group, Health Canada and Evict Radon.

TEAM UPDATE

Dr. Larsen’s changing role

Dr. Kristian Larsen, Senior Investigator at CAREX Canada, is now a Research Scientist in the Office of Environmental Health at Health Canada. He will continue to collaborate with CAREX Canada in this new position on research regarding inequalities in environmental carcinogens and chemical exposures.

​COMMUNICATIONS UPDATES

Recent stories from our Carcinogens in the News digest

• Our team, in partnership with Evict Radon colleagues, published a study assessing how residential radon gas exposure increased due to changing activity patterns resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings show that younger people in newer urban or suburban properties with more occupants, and/or those employed in managerial, administrative, or professional roles had disproportionate increases in residential radon exposure due to changed activity patterns.
• CTV News summarizes changes to Ontario’s mining regulation to reduce miners’ exposures to diesel engine exhaust. The new rules will improve underground ventilation requirements and will lower the exposure limit to harmful diesel exhaust to the most protective levels in North America.

You can subscribe to our monthly Carcinogens in the News digest here.

Please note that the CAREX Canada e-Bulletin is now a bi-annual digest. For more regular communications from us, please subscribe to Carcinogens in the News, a monthly digest of media articles, government reports, and academic literature related to the carcinogens we’ve classified as important for surveillance in Canada.

IN THIS ISSUE

Spotlight on our updated interactive eWORK tool for exploring our occupational exposure estimates
Team updates – CAREX is pleased to welcome three new team members Disan Katende, Melanie Matté and Raissa Shrestha
Recent publications – Prevalence and level of occupational exposure to asbestos and an analysis of COVID-19 outbreaks in the workplace
Communications update – New video on how to use eWORK, recent stories from our Carcinogen in the News digest

SPOTLIGHT ON NEW INTERACTIVE TOOL

CAREX launches updated eWORK tool

​We are pleased to announce that our newly updated eWORK tool is now available. eWORK is an interactive tool for exploring CAREX Canada’s occupational exposure estimates to carcinogens. This new version of the tool allows for improved, customizable queries, and offers more in-depth results than the previous version of the tool. Results show the number of workers exposed to these carcinogens nationally, by province, by industry, and by occupation for the new 2016 estimates. It can answer queries such as:

• What are the top carcinogen exposures in a particular industry?
• What are the main industries exposed to a particular carcinogen?
• How many workers are exposed to each carcinogen in a particular province?

eWORK can be accessed here or via the Resources tab on our website. More information about Canadians’ exposures to these carcinogens is available on the carcinogen profiles for each substance.

TEAM NEWS

CAREX added three new team members

The CAREX Canada team is pleased to welcome new team members Disan Katende, Melanie Matté and Raissa Shrestha.

Based in Vancouver at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Disan recently graduated from UBC with a Master in Public Health. His past experience includes working with health research teams in sub-Saharan Africa on electronic data capture and analysis. He also worked with the Health Data Research Network Canada (HDRN), and at British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute. Disan’s background in research, public health, and data analysis is a great addition to the CAREX Canada team.

Melanie is located at the University of Calgary and most recently worked at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) as a Program Manager with the Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health. Previously, she worked in the cancer screening program at Alberta Health Services. Melanie holds a Master in Public Health from UBC, and will be leading our collaborative work with Indigenous communities.

Raissa is also based in Vancouver at the UBC and recently graduated with Honours from the University of Toronto, with a Bachelor of Science in Cell & Systems Biology, Immunology and Statistics. Raissa worked as a Research Assistant with the Population Health Research Institute and McMaster University on an occupational epidemiology project, performing data analysis and collaborating on a systematic review, and she will be supporting our next update of our occupational exposure estimates.

Their full biographies can be found on the About Us page.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Prevalence and level of occupational exposure to asbestos and an analysis of COVID-19 outbreaks in the workplace

Our team recently published journal articles on CAREX-related research, including:

• The update of CAREX Canada’s asbestos prevalence of exposure estimates from 2006 to 2016, and an assessment of the level of occupational exposure by industry, occupation, province/territory, and sex.
• A media surveillance analysis to identify COVID-19 workplace outbreaks and associated transmission risk for new and emerging occupations in Canada and the United States.

A full list of our publications is available here.

COMMUNICATIONS UPDATES

New video on how to use the new eWORK tool

A new video on how to use CAREX Canada’s updated eWORK tool is now available. This video provides an overview of eWORK, an interactive tool that allows users to conduct custom queries of the CAREX Canada’s occupational exposure estimates to carcinogens. A full list of CAREX Canada videos and webinar recordings is available here.

Recent stories from our Carcinogens in the News digest

We’re featuring two stories that appeared in our Carcinogens in the News digest:

The Canadian Cancer Statistics: A 2022 special report on cancer prevalence shows in 2018, an estimated 1.5 million people alive in Canada had been diagnosed with cancer in the previous 25 years; approximately 60% of whom were diagnosed 5 to 25 years ago. The rising prevalence is also attributable to rising cancer incidence, or more cases diagnosed. It is estimated that 233,900 people will be diagnosed with cancer in 2022.

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) evaluated the carcinogenicity of occupational exposure as a firefighter. The Working Group classified occupational exposure as a firefighter as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1), on the basis of sufficient evidence for cancer in humans for mesothelioma and bladder cancer. There was limited evidence for cancer in humans for colon cancer, prostate cancer, testicular cancer, melanoma of the skin, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

You can subscribe to our monthly Carcinogens in the News digest here.

Please note that the CAREX Canada e-Bulletin is now a bi-annual digest. For more regular communications from us, please subscribe to Carcinogens in the News, a monthly digest of media articles, government reports, and academic literature related to the carcinogens we’ve classified as important for surveillance in Canada.

IN THIS ISSUE

Spotlight on our move to UBC – CAREX Canada now hosted at UBC, Dr. Peters’ new role
Updating resources – Wildfire smoke emerging issues summary
Recent publications – Young workers’ exposure to carcinogens and diesel engine exhaust in construction
Communications update – New webinar recordings on our occupational exposure estimates and sun safety, recent stories from our Carcinogens in the News digest

SPOTLIGHT ON OUR MOVE TO UBC​

CAREX Canada now hosted at UBC, Dr. Peters’ new role

We are pleased to announce that CAREX Canada is now hosted at the University of British Columbia’s (UBC) School of Population and Public Health in Vancouver, BC, where our Principal Investigator Dr. Cheryl Peters is a newly appointed Adjunct Professor. Dr. Peters also recently started her new position as Senior Scientist of Cancer Prevention at the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) and BC Cancer. This role was created to build a bridge between cancer prevention activities across the two organizations and to enhance cancer prevention research capacity in BC. We look forward to continuing our work on occupational and environmental health at UBC, with new partners at BCCDC, BC Cancer, and beyond.

UPDATING RESOURCES

Wildfire smoke emerging issues summary

A new emerging issues profile on environmental and occupational wildfire smoke exposure is now available. Wildfire smoke contains several known or suspected carcinogens, including fine particulate matter (PM2.5), benzene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and others, but the long-term health effects from acute, periodic exposures to this smoke are still unknown. This is a focus of emerging research as wildfire season in Canada continues to become longer and more extreme as climate change creates weather conditions that increase the risk of these fires. Some populations are more vulnerable to adverse health effects following wildfire smoke exposure including seniors, people working outdoors (including wildland firefighters), children, pregnant people, and those with existing health conditions.

The new wildfire smoke summary is available here.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Young workers’ exposure to carcinogens and diesel engine exhaust in construction

Our team recently published journal articles on CAREX-related research, including:

• Our investigation on young workers who may be at higher risk of occupational exposure to carcinogens, which includes those in construction, outdoor occupations, and farming.
• An assessment of current diesel engine exhaust exposures at construction sites in Ontario, which found that most exposures were above recommended health-based limits from more conservative jurisdictions.

A full list of our publications is available here.

COMMUNICATIONS UPDATES

New webinar recordings on our occupational exposure estimates and sun safety at work

A recording of our recent webinar on CAREX Canada’s updated occupational exposure estimates and the future of workplace cancer prevention is now available. This webinar provides an overview of our new estimates of occupational exposure to carcinogens (updated from 2006 to 2016), as well as an expert panel discussion about the challenges and opportunities in occupational cancer prevention. Panelists include Drs. Mary Schubauer-Berigan (IARC), Calvin Ge (TNO in the Netherlands), and Paul Demers (OCRC). A full list of CAREX Canada videos and webinar recordings is available here.

The Radiation Safety Institute of Canada recently held a webinar on solar radiation exposure at work, where Dr. Cheryl Peters provided an overview of what workers are at greatest risk of occupational exposure to solar radiation, the associated health effects, best practices for reducing exposure, and more. A recording of this webinar is available here. 

Recent stories from our Carcinogens in the News digest

This month, we’re featuring two stories that appeared in our Carcinogens in the News digest:

• The Canadian Cancer Society has released their Canadian Cancer Statistics publication, which provides new, detailed statistics on incidence, mortality, and survival by sex, age group, geographic region, and time period for 20+ cancer types in Canada. An estimated 233,900 new cancer cases and 85,100 cancer deaths are expected in Canada in 2022, with the most commonly diagnosed cancers to be lung overall, breast in females, and prostate in males.
• The Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum Magazine highlighted some of the challenges around occupational exposure limits to diesel engine exhaust in underground mines across Canada. Our Principal Investigator Dr. Cheryl Peters shared findings from our related research on this work.

You can subscribe to our monthly Carcinogens in the News digest here.

Please note that the CAREX Canada e-Bulletin is now a bi-annual digest. For more regular communications from us, please subscribe to Carcinogens in the News, a monthly digest of media articles, government reports, and academic literature related to the carcinogens we’ve classified as important for surveillance in Canada.