The goal of the Burden of Occupational Cancer study is to provide a comprehensive picture of the impact of well-established workplace carcinogens. The carcinogens listed below are also important contributors to occupational cancer burden in Canada.
| Carcinogen | IARC classification* | Number of exposed workers in Canada** | Number of cancers per year | Key Sectors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenic | Definite | 25,000 | 60 lung | Manufacturing Construction |
| Artificial UV Radiation | Definite | 141,000 | 15 ocular melanoma | Welding-related jobs in manufacturing, trade, and construction |
| Benzene | Definite | 375,000 | 20 leukemia <5 multiple myeloma (possible) | Manufacturing Transportation & warehousing Trade |
| Chromium (VI) | Definite | 104,000 | 50 lung <5 sinonasal (possible) | Manufacturing |
| Creosotes | Probable | 4,800 | 95 non-melanoma skin (possible) | Manufacturing Transportation & warehousing Construction |
| Formaldehyde | Definite | 152,000 | 5 leukemia <5 nasopharyngeal | Manufacturing |
| Nickel compounds | Definite | 117,000 | 170 lung <5 sinonasal | Manufacturing Mining & oil & gas extraction |
| Painting | Definite | N/A | 75 lung 25 bladder 5 mesothelioma | Construction Manufacturing |
| Wood dust | Definite | 340,000 | 10 nasopharyngeal 10 sinonasal | Manufacturing Construction |
*Definite human carcinogen = IARC Group 1, probable human carcinogen = IARC Group 2A
**Estimates from CAREX Canada
There are smaller numbers of attributable cancers due to the following occupational exposures: acid mists (5 laryngeal cancers, 20 suspected lung cancers), cadmium (5 lung cancers), work as a hairdresser or barber (20 suspected bladder cancers), inorganic lead compounds (15 suspected stomach cancers), and untreated mineral oils (10 non-melanoma skin cancers, <5 melanomas).
The following occupational exposures contribute less than five attributable cancers per cancer site: rubber production (bladder, lung, leukemia, lymphoma, suspected larynx), beryllium (lung), leather dust (sinonasal), vinyl chloride monomer (liver), aromatic amines (bladder), polychlorinated biphenyls (melanoma skin), trichloroethylene (kidney, suspected non-Hodgkin lymphoma, suspected liver), X and gamma radiation (lung, thyroid), 1,3-butadiene (Hodgkin lymphoma, leukemia), tetrachloroethylene (suspected bladder), and art glass manufacturing (suspected lung).
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