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Med. Pr. 2000;51(6)

Quantitative methods of chemical-related cancer risk assessment

Metodyka ilościowej oceny ryzyka choroby nowotworowej wynikającego z narażenia na substancje chemiczne

W. Szymczak

Abstract

This work is based on the assumption that work safety and hygiene inspectors or a work hygiene inspectors in sanitary and epidemiological station will not develop their own dose-response models on the basis of background data. They should be equipment with a tool allowing them to assess a given risk in the most simple way. Dose-response models for assessing cancer risk induced by carcinogenic chemicals are presented in the "Guidelines on health risk assessment of carcinogenic agents" published since 1995 by The Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine in Łódź. Nevertheless, it seemed advisable to gather in one publication all models published thus far, and by adding relevant comments and necessary formulas for calculations, produce a simple set of practical rules of risk assessment. All models already published in Guidelines may be divided into two groups: linear and non-linear models. In addition, among linear models one may differentiate those for asbestos dust exposure because of different nature of the relationship between the extent of exposure and likelihood of cancer occurrence. The models are given in three tables under the following headings: linear models for 21 chemicals, non-linear models for 12 chemicals and linear models for asbestos. There are also included formulas that allow to convert dose into concentration and concentration into dose, and occupational exposure into equivalent exposure over the course of a lifetime, as well as conversion coefficients enabling the use of animalexperiment results in the assessment of human risk.