Occupational exposures to carcinogens in Italy: an update of CAREX database

Abstract

To update estimates of the prevalence of occupational exposures to carcinogens in Italy, the 85 CAREX agents were re-assessed. The original exposure estimates in the CAREX database were updated, taking into account changes in exposure patterns and in numbers of employees by industrial class. The 21.8 million employees in Italy, 19.4 in industry and services, 2.4 in agriculture, had 4.2 million exposures. Prevalences of exposures were highest for environmental (passive) tobacco smoke (800,000 exposures), solar radiation (700,000), diesel engine exhaust (500,000), wood dust (280,000), silica (250,000), lead and inorganic lead compounds (230,000), benzene (180 000), hexavalent chromium compounds (160,000), glass wool (140,000), and PAHs (120,000). Exposures to carcinogens at work are still an issue in Italy and do not appear to be controlled as strictly as they should be.