IN THIS ISSUE

Spotlight on burden of occupational cancer – New burden of cancer report and fact sheets now available
Additions to the CAREX team – Welcome Shelby
Updating resources – New occupational exposure estimates for welding fumes, gasoline engine exhaust
Recent publications – New publication on occupational exposure to second-hand smoke
Communications update – Webinar recording on occupational lung cancer cases now online
Partner update – Supporting awareness and research during Radon Action Month

SPOTLIGHT ON BURDEN OF OCCUPATIONAL CANCER

Occupational burden of cancer report and fact sheets now available

The Occupational Cancer Research Centre (OCRC) recently released their Burden of Occupational Cancer in Canada report, which presents estimates of the number of cancers caused by exposure to 44 known or suspected workplace carcinogens. Approximately 10,000 cancers per year in Canada are caused by exposures to carcinogens at work, including solar radiation, asbestos, diesel engine exhaust, and crystalline silica. The report also includes evidence-based policy recommendations for workplace cancer prevention, including strengthening occupational exposure limits and creating workplace exposure registries. To view the full report, visit the OCRC website.

CAREX Canada’s occupational exposure estimates were used to produce the burden estimates. We worked with OCRC to develop a series of two-page fact sheets summarizing the burden of cancer results for a number of substances, including asbestos, diesel engine exhaust, night shift work, solar radiation, second-hand smoke, and more. The burden fact sheets are available here.

ADDITIONS TO THE CAREX TEAM

Welcome Shelby

The CAREX team is pleased to welcome new staff member Shelby Fenton, Research Associate. Based at Alberta Health Services in Calgary, Shelby has expertise in environmental and occupational health, and has previously worked as a junior occupational hygienist and risk assessment specialist. She will be working on updating our occupational exposure estimates and supporting other projects related to workplace exposures. Please join us in welcoming Shelby to the CAREX team. Her full biography can be found on Our Team page.

UPDATING RESOURCES

New occupational exposure estimates for welding fumes, gasoline engine exhaust

Our new profile and occupational exposure estimates for welding fumes are now available. Our results show that approximately 333,000 Canadians are exposed to welding fumes at work, primarily in construction and manufacturing industries. Welding fumes are a complex mixture of fine particles and gases produced as a byproduct of welding activities and are classified as carcinogenic to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The profile is available here.

We also recently developed occupational exposure estimates for gasoline engine exhaust. Approximately 1.4 million Canadians are occupationally exposed to gasoline engine exhaust across many industries, including truck and transit transportation. The occupational exposure estimates are available here.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

New publication on occupational exposure to second-hand smoke

Our new estimates of workplace exposure to second-hand smoke have been published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health. Approximately 418,000 Canadians were exposed to second-hand smoke at work in 2016. This represents a 20% decrease in the number of workers exposed from 2006, largely due to efforts to reduce workplace second-hand smoke exposure and tobacco use across Canada. Workers in Saskatchewan and Newfoundland had the highest rates of exposure, while Ontario had the lowest. The publication is available here. The results are also available on our occupational exposure estimates webpage here.

COMMUNICATIONS UPDATE

Webinar recording on occupational lung cancer cases now online

Our recent webinar on legal cases related to occupational exposures and lung cancer is now available online. This webinar was presented in partnership with the Industrial Accident Victims’ Group of Ontario (IAVGO) Community Legal Clinic, the Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers Inc. (OHCOW), and the Ontario Office of the Worker Adviser (ON-OWA). It covers legal clinic and advocate perspectives on lung cancer cases in the workers compensation system, relevant CAREX Canada resources on workplace exposures, and opportunities for training. The webinar recording is available here.

PARTNER UPDATE

Supporting awareness and research during Radon Action Month

November is Radon Action Month. This year, we continue to support radon awareness and research with our partners. We are part of the advisory team for Take Action on Radon, a national initiative to bring together radon stakeholders and raise awareness about radon across Canada. Their new campaign, Today 4 Tomorrow, encourages Canadians to test their homes for radon, highlights the positive actions of municipalities across Canada, and shares steps communities can take to help their residents protect themselves. Learn more about the initiative here.

Radon testing data is often collected by many organizations and can be difficult for researchers and public health professionals to access. With our support, the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) is developing the BC Radon Data Repository (BCRDR), an integrated dataset of radon testing results from across the province to help make this data more accessible for research and prevention. To learn more about the initiative or to contribute radon testing data to the BCRDR, please contact Jeffry Trieu.

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 CAREX news – CAREX Canada launches new website
Recent publications – Burden of cancer and sun safety at work results now available
Partner update – Expanding CAREX through international collaborations
Communications update – Two occupational disease websites launched
Other updates – New Canadian Strategy for Cancer Control released

SPOTLIGHT ON CAREX NEWS

CAREX Canada launches new website

We are pleased to announce the launch of our newly updated CAREX Canada website. The new site continues to be a source of evidence-based knowledge on Canadians’ exposures to known and suspected carcinogens, with improved navigation, clearer content, and an updated look.

Some new features include:

• Priority carcinogens – like asbestos and solar radiation – now easily accessible from the homepage
• New Special Topics pages that highlight priority projects and exposures, including Radon in Buildings and the Burden of Cancer
• Restructured environmental and occupational exposure estimate pages with updated visuals

We invite you to explore the new website at www.carexcanada.ca.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

New burden of cancer results now available

Results from the Canadian Population Attributable Risk of Cancer (ComPARe) project were featured in a special issue of Preventive Medicine. The project, which recently launched a new website, estimates the number of cancer cases attributable to more than 20 modifiable risk factors across Canada.

Results for several CAREX Canada priorities were published, including:

• ~6.9% of lung cancer cases attributable to residential radon in 2015
• ~6.9% lung cancer cases attributable to PM₅ (fine particulate matter) in 2015
• ~4% of new cancer cases attributable to occupational exposures in 2011, including solar radiation, asbestos, silica, and others

CAREX Canada has been an active member of the Knowledge Translation Advisory Committee for the project. To learn more about ComPARe, please visit their website.

Results on the impact of night shift work on breast cancer from the Burden of Occupational Cancer in Canada Study are also now available. This research shows that in 2011, approximately 470-1,200 incident breast cancer cases were likely due to shift work in Canada, many of which were in healthcare-related occupations. Shift work is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a probable carcinogen based on limited evidence in humans, with links to breast cancer, and is currently under review for the second time.

The burden publication is available here.

Sun Safety at Work Canada project results and new sun research in Alberta

A new publication from the Sun Safety at Work Canada project is now available. Participants at thirteen workplaces across three Canadian provinces were monitored for solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure to help characterize exposure levels in outdoor workers. Results show that the mean exposure of solar UVR in workers was nearly 5 times the international recommended limit, and 10% were exposed at over 10 times the limit. The publication is available here.

Our co-Principal Investigator Dr. Cheryl Peters is expanding on this research in Alberta. The Sun Exposure in Outdoor Workers Project is currently looking for workplaces with outdoor workers to participate in a new study that will measure solar UVR exposure in Alberta. This study will be the first of its kind in the province. More information on participating in this study is available here.

PARTNER UPDATE

Expanding CAREX through international collaborations

Last month, our co-Principal Investigator Dr. Cheryl Peters visited New Zealand to present on ­the burden of lung cancer due to occupational exposure to radon gas at the 27th International Epidemiology in Occupational Health (EPICOH) conference. While there, she also met with colleagues at WorkSafe New Zealand to present on CAREX Canada and discuss how we can work together to develop a CAREX (CARcinogen EXposure) project for workplace exposures in New Zealand. This new collaboration will involve adapting CAREX data and coding systems to help estimate carcinogen exposures in New Zealand’s workers, and laying the groundwork for the creation of a workplace exposure database in New Zealand.

We have also been working with the Occupational Cancer Research Centre (OCRC) and researchers in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) to help develop CAREX projects in that region. This collaboration was recently featured on the International Development Research Centre’s website, who provided funding to support this work. CAREX methods have been adapted for the labour force of the region and applied to local data to estimate workers’ exposure to carcinogens.

COMMUNICATIONS UPDATE

Two occupational disease websites launched

Two new websites on occupational disease are now available:

• The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) and the Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW) have created the Prevent Occupational Disease website, an online clearing house of current and credible occupational health resources from Canada and around the world. The website aims to reduce workplace illness and fatalities by providing information on occupational diseases and ways to prevent them. A number of CAREX Canada resources are featured on the site.
• The Occupational Disease Surveillance Program (ODSP), led by the Occupational Cancer Research Centre, has launched their new website focused on surveillance of occupational disease and workplace exposures. This program includes the Occupational Disease Surveillance system (ODSS), which identifies at-risk groups of workers and potential hazardous exposures within the workplace in Ontario. The system can identify and monitor trends in work-related disease and help improve our understanding of occupational diseases, including cancer. There are plans to expand it to other Canadian provinces and create a national network.

OTHER UPDATES

New Canadian Strategy for Cancer Control released

Our funding agency, the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (CPAC), has released their Canadian Strategy for Cancer Control. The Strategy is a 10-year roadmap that focuses on long-term, sustainable impact in cancer control and improving equity in the cancer system, including First Nations, Inuit and Métis priorities.

CPAC’s public engagement of more than 7,500 Canadians revealed several key themes, including a desire for better resources to educate and support people to prevent cancer. Based on this input, one of the Strategy’s five priorities is to decrease the risk of people getting cancer, including reducing exposure to carcinogens at home and at work. It calls for broader policies to reduce environmental exposures, including emission and industrial waste controls, and to support occupational health and safety.

The Canadian Strategy for Cancer Control is available 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 radon – School testing increases in Canada, CELA publishes radon law and policy scan
Additions to the CAREX team – Welcome Chantal 
Updating resources – New profile developed for carbon nanotubes, summaries for emerging issues, webinar recordings 
Communications update – Asbestos ban established in Canada
Recent publications – ON-DECK study results on occupational exposure and kidney cancer 

SPOTLIGHT ON RADON

Spotlight on radon – School testing increases in Canada

November is Radon Awareness Month. Last year, we released our updated Radon in Schools research documenting where school testing has occurred in Canada. Since then, a number of schools have tested for radon, including:

• 50 schools in Alberta (ongoing in fall 2018/winter 2019)
• 106 schools in BC, including six school districts (92 schools) where testing was supported by Vancouver Coastal Health
• 10 schools in Manitoba, where test kits were provided free from the Manitoba School Board Association

A summary of the 2017 school testing results is available here.

CELA publishes radon law and policy scan

The Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA), in partnership with CAREX Canada, has published an environmental scan of radon law and policy in Canada and the European Union. This report summarizes the current state of law, policy, and best practices, as well as federal, provincial/territorial, and municipal responsibilities. It also provides policy recommendations for Health Canada to more effectively deliver the National Radon Program and improve radon protection across the country. The report is available here.

ADDITIONS TO THE CAREX TEAM

Welcome Chantal

The CAREX team is pleased to welcome new staff member Chantal Burnett, Research Associate. Based at Alberta Health Services in Calgary, Chantal has expertise in environmental and occupational hygiene. She’ll be working on updating our occupational exposure estimates and supporting other projects related to workplace exposures. Please join us in welcoming Chantal to the CAREX team. Her full biography can be found on Our Team page.

UPDATING RESOURCES

New profile developed for carbon nanotubes, summaries for emerging issues

A profile on carbon nanotubes is now available. Carbon nanotubes are manufactured materials used in nanotechnology, electronics, and optics. In 2017, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified a specific type of carbon nanotube (MWCNT-7) as possibly carcinogenic to humans, with links to lung cancer in animals. Workers can be exposed when generating and applying materials with carbon nanotubes, and exposure may occur in the general public from consumer products. The new profile is available here.

We also monitor substances of growing concern to Canadians, and have three new emerging issues summaries available on our website:

• Blue light at night
• Chemical mixtures
• Electronic waste recycling

The new emerging issues summaries are available here.

New webinar recordings posted on workplace diesel exposure, eRISK Online

A recording of our webinar on exposure to diesel engine exhaust in Canadian workplaces, hosted in partnership with the Occupational Cancer Research Centre (OCRC) and Ontario’s Occupational Disease Action Plan (ODAP) Working Group on Diesel Exhaust, is now available The webinar covered the importance of diesel exhaust as a workplace hazard and the ways it can be assessed and controlled. Approximately 897,000 Canadians are exposed to diesel at work. A recording of our webinar on eRISK Online is also now available. eRISK Online is an interactive tool developed by CAREX Canada that allows users to explore the cancer risk associated with exposures to known and suspected carcinogens in the environment. The webinar uses several case studies to show users how to navigate the tool and interpret the results it generates. The webinar recordings are available on our Videos page.

COMMUNICATIONS UPDATE

Asbestos ban established in Canada

In October, the Government of Canada announced new regulations to prohibit the import, sale, and use of asbestos as well as the manufacture, import, sale, and use of asbestos-containing products. The regulations will come into force on December 30, 2018. Our estimates show that approximately 152,000 Canadians are exposed to asbestos at work, and many more may be environmentally exposed during home renovations, from asbestos-containing products, or through contaminated clothing from family members who work with asbestos. A number of CAREX partners have been advocating for this ban for many years, including the Canadian Environmental Law Association, the BC Federation of Labour, and the Canadian Association for University Teachers, and have used our data and resources to help support their efforts.

Visit our profile on asbestos for more information and resources related to this exposure.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

ON-DECK study results on occupational exposure and kidney cancer

Two new publications from the Ontario Study of Diesel Exhaust and Cancer of the Kidney (ON-DECK) are now available. Our co-Principal Investigator Dr. Cheryl Peters was the Study Coordinator for ON-DECK, which evaluated occupational exposure to several common agents potentially associated with kidney cancer. Results show that workplace exposure to gasoline engine exhaust, a suspected human carcinogen, increased the risk of kidney cancer in Canadian men in a dose-response fashion. Exposure to asbestos and diesel engine exhaust was also associated with kidney cancer in men, with limited evidence. High exposure to both gasoline and diesel engine exhausts nearly doubled the risk of kidney cancer.

The publications are available here (asbestos) and here (gasoline and diesel engine exhaust). 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.

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 diesel engine exhaust – Upcoming webinar and burden of workplace cancer 
Team news – Renewal and new appointment
Updating resources – Updated occupational estimates for silica and shiftwork, new profile for furan 
Partner update – Comic on cancer education for First Nations youth 
Communications update – Canadian Air Pollutant Inventory, economic burden of workplace sun exposure 

SPOTLIGHT ON DIESEL ENGINE EXHAUST

Upcoming webinar and burden of workplace cancer

On June 5th, 2018, we’re hosting a webinar on exposure to diesel engine exhaust in Canadian workplaces in partnership with the Occupational Cancer Research Centre (OCRC) and Ontario’s Occupational Disease Action Plan (ODAP) Working Group on Diesel Exhaust. The webinar will convey the importance of diesel exhaust as a workplace hazard and discuss the ways it can be assessed and controlled. For more information, visit our registration page.

Approximately 2.4% of lung cancers in Canada were attributable to occupational diesel engine exhaust exposure in 2011, according to a new publication from the Burden of Occupational Cancer Study. This corresponds to an estimated 560 lung cancers each year. Results show that occupations with the highest burden include underground miners, truck drivers, and mechanics. CAREX Canada’s occupational exposure estimates, which show that approximately 897,000 Canadians are exposed to diesel engine exhaust at work, were used to produce these burden estimates. The publication is available here, and fact sheets on these and other burden of occupational cancer results are available here.

TEAM UPDATES

Renewal and new appointment

The CAREX team is pleased to announce that we’ve been re-funded by the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer for another four years of work. We look forward to continuing our efforts to develop and mobilize estimates of Canadians’ exposures to carcinogens, to influence prevention policy and practice change.

We are also pleased to announce that our Co-Principal Investigator Dr. Cheryl Peters has a new appointment as Research Scientist at the Alberta Health Services Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Research department and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Cumming School of Medicine (Oncology and Community Health Sciences) at the University of Calgary. In her new role, Dr. Peters will build a program of research to investigate known and emerging causes of cancer in workplace and community environments, while continuing her work with CAREX Canada. Her full biography can be found on Our Team page.

UPDATING RESOURCES

Updated occupational estimates for silica and shiftwork, new profile for furan

We recently updated our occupational exposure level estimates for crystalline silica. Our new results, which incorporated thousands of updated measurements taken in the construction industry, showed that a majority of workers exposed to silica in Canada have high exposure levels – approximately 237,000 out of 380,000 workers exposed. Silica is a common exposure in the construction industry, where it can be found in cement, brick, abrasives, sandblasting materials, and more. Exposure concerns arise when products containing silica are disturbed by grinding, cutting, drilling, or chipping, as these tasks create dust that workers may inhale.

Other updates to the website include:

• Updated occupational exposure estimates for shiftwork, which revealed that approximately 1.8 million Canadians worked shifts that fell between midnight and 5am in 2011, a decrease of about 100,000 from 2006.
• A new profile on furan, an organic compound used in chemical manufacturing. Furan can be found at low levels in some heat-treated beverages and foods such as coffee, and canned or jarred foods.

PARTNER UPDATE

Comic on cancer education for First Nations youth

At the request of one of our First Nations community partners, the Mississauga First Nation, the comic book “Silent Enemy” was designed to provide education and awareness to youth about cancer. It follows a family through their father’s lung cancer diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. The Healthy Aboriginal Network and Cancer Care Ontario’s Aboriginal Cancer Control Unit created the comic, in partnership with the First Nations Health Authority and CAREX Canada.

The comic is available online here. Please email us if you’d like to receive a printed version.

COMMUNICATIONS UPDATE

Canadian Air Pollutant Inventory, economic burden of workplace sun exposure

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

• Environment and Climate Change Canada has released their 2018 Air Pollutant Emission Inventory, which looks at emissions of 17 air pollutants at the national and provincial/territorial levels, including a number of known or suspected carcinogens such as particulate matter, PAHs, lead, cadmium, and volatile organic compounds. Results show that overall, Canada’s air quality continues to improve, with reductions of some pollutants from transportation and industrial emissions. The publication is available here.
• A new publication from the Burden of Occupational Cancer Study shows that the economic burden of occupational non-melanoma skin cancer due to solar radiation exposure in Canada is approximately $28.9 million for direct and indirect costs, and $5.7 million for intangible costs. Approximately 2,800 (5%) of newly diagnosed cases of basal cell carcinoma and 1,700 (9%) of newly diagnosed cases of squamous cell carcinoma were attributable to occupational solar radiation exposure in 2011. The publication is available 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 Radon in Schools – Updated research on school testing in Canada 
Addition to the CAREX team – Welcome Kristian
New Resources – Two new Package Summaries now available
Partner update – OCRC and CCO release burden of occupational cancer report
Recent publications – Call for action on radon in child care settings 

SPOTLIGHT ON RADON IN SCHOOLS

Updated research on school testing in Canada

During Radon Awareness Month this November we released our updated Radon in Schools research. Our team investigated where school testing has occurred in Canada, as a follow-up to our research in 2016. We found that school testing rates remain low in some of the most populated provinces, although some school districts in these provinces are taking the initiative to test. A summary of the results is available here.

ADDITION TO THE CAREX TEAM

Welcome Kristian

The CAREX team is pleased to welcome new staff member Kristian Larsen, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Specialist. Based in Toronto, Kristian has used GIS methods to examine environmental health topics such as air pollution and physical activity. He has worked with a number of organizations, including the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), and the University of Toronto. At CAREX, Kristian is applying his GIS expertise to develop new models of pesticide exposure and to enhance existing CAREX resources with new data visualizations. Please join us in welcoming Kristian to the CAREX team. His full biography can be found on the About Us page.

NEW RESOURCES

Two new Package Summaries now available

A new industry-focused summary on carcinogens that health care workers may be exposed to is now available. The package provides an overview of the most prevalent exposures for those working in health care, including shiftwork, antineoplastic agents, formaldehyde, artificial ultraviolet radiation, and diesel engine exhaust. For more information on exposure to antineoplastic agents in Canadian workplaces (including health care), view a recording of our recent webinar with WorkSafeBC on our Videos page.

Another exposure package summary – on priority carcinogens in traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) – is also now available. TRAP is a major contributor to outdoor air pollution, which is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as carcinogenic to humans. This package summarizes the many components of TRAP associated with cancer, including diesel engine exhaust, gasoline engine exhaust, particulate matter, 1,3-butadiene, benzene, and formaldehyde.

To learn more, and to view the other summaries we’ve developed visit our Package Summaries page.

PARTNER UPDATE

OCRC and CCO release burden of occupational cancer report

The Occupational Cancer Research Centre (OCRC) and Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) recently released their Burden of Occupational Cancer in Ontario report, which focuses on the most common carcinogens found in Ontario workplaces and their contribution to occupational cancer. Results show that solar radiation, asbestos, diesel engine exhaust, and crystalline silica had the largest cancer burden in the province. The report also highlights opportunities to reduce the burden of cancer in Ontario, including strengthening occupational exposure limits, enforcing existing regulations, and reducing the use of toxic substances. CAREX Canada’s occupational exposure estimates were used to produce the burden estimates. To view the full report, visit the OCRC website.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Call for action on radon in child care settings

This commentary from children’s health, policy, and radon experts highlights the need for a comprehensive approach to radon safety in Canadian child care facilities. Most child care centres in the country have not been tested for radon, and specific legal requirements are lacking. To help address this, the authors identified several opportunities to protect both children and staff, including regulations, licensing requirements, and ministry-funded testing and remediation programs. Authors include colleagues from the Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health & Environment, the Canadian Child Care Federation, the Canadian Environmental Law Association, Interior Health Authority, Health Canada, and our Co-Principal Investigator Anne-Marie Nicol. The publication is available 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.