A priori quantitative assessment of occupational carcinogenic risks for underground copper–nickel miners in the Russian Arctic

Introduction: Workplace air carcinogens have the potency to induce malignant tumors not only of the lungs but also of other organs, which creates problems in establishing a causal relationship between job and disease.

Objective: To assess occupational carcinogenic risks posed by chemicals found in the workplace air of underground coppernickel miners in the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation.

Materials and methods: A priori quantitative occupational carcinogenic risk assessment for drill operators, loading and hauling machine operators, timbermen, and stope miners was conducted using mean concentrations of chemicals calculated from the range of laboratory results of workplace air quality testing according to R 2.2.3969–23, Guidelines for occupational risk assessment for workers’ health: Organizational and methodological aspects, principles and criteria. Quantitative occupational carcinogenic risk levels were categorized based on the criteria presented in Chapter 6 of the Guidelines.

Results and discussion: Unacceptable total carcinogenic risk levels (> 1×10^–3) were found at workplaces of timbermen and drill operators. Priority substances contributing the most to the total carcinogenic risk for workers of these occupations are chromium and nickel. It should be noted that there are uncertainties in risk assessment related to the use of cancer potency factors established for the general population. The uncertainty in exposure assessment is associated with inability to consider the efficiency of the use of personal protective equipment.

Conclusion: Unacceptable risk levels at workplaces of timbermen and drill operators were estimated during a priori quantitative occupational carcinogenic risk assessment. They necessitate the development of risk mitigation measures and a set of preventive medicine activities for the period of reducing the risk to acceptable levels.

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