Silica and lung cancer: it can be controlled

In 1997 IARC ruled that there was sufficient evidence for inhaled crystalline silica in the form of quartz or cristobalite from occupational sources to be a proven human carcinogen This verdict was reaffirmed in 2009 by the established mechanistic event of impaired particle clearance leading to macrophage activation and persistent inflammation. Several initiatives, most notably the Industrial Minerals Association Europe’s Dust Monitoring Programme and the European Network for Silica initiative in which 15 industry sector organisations and their counterpart trade union federations collaboratively try to control exposure to respirable crystalline silica and provide adequate health care to its workers, has been initiated since the early 2000’s. There is evidence that collaboration between industry, occupational health services and academia has resulted in lower exposures of the workforce and it has shown that in economic hard times it is hard to keep the momentum of ever improving control and lower (lung cancer) risks.