BaP and PAH from coal-derived sources; Health-based calculated occupational cancer risk values of benzo[a]pyrene and unsubstituted non-heterocyclic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from coal-derived sources

At the request of the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment, the Committee on Occupational Standards (DECOS), a committee of the Health Council of the Netherlands, derives so-called health-based calculated – occupational cancer risk values (HBC-OCRVs) associated with excess mortality levels of 4 per 1,000 and 4 per 100,000 as a result of working life exposure to substances that have been classified by the European Union or the DECOS as genotoxic carcinogen. In this report the committee derives HBC-OCRVs for benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and unsubstituted non-heterocyclic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) from coal-derived sources. PAH (and BaP) are formed by incomplete combustion of these coal-derived sources. Occupational exposure may occur in several industries, such as in: coke ovens and power plants; petroleum refining; aluminium production using Söderberg anodes; manufacture of anodes; and, steel and iron foundries. 

Committee

• GJ Mulder, chairman
  professor of toxicology; Leiden University, Leiden
• RB Beems
  toxicologic pathologist; National Institute of Public Health and the Environ¬ment, Bilthoven
• LJNGM Bloemen
  epidemiologist; Environ, Terneuzen
• PJ Boogaard
  toxicologist; Shell International Petroleum Company, The Hague
• PJ Borm
  professor of inhalation toxicology; Heinrich Heine Universität Düsseldorf (Germany)
• JJAM Brokamp, advisor
  Social and Economic Council, The Hague
• DJJ Heederik
  professor of risk assessment in occupational epidemiology; IRAS, Utrecht University, Utrecht
• TM Pal
  occupational physician; Netherlands Centre for Occupational Diseases, Amsterdam
• IM Rietjens
  professor of toxicology; Wageningen University, Wageningen.
• H Roelfzema, advisor
  Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, The Hague
• T Smid
  occupational hygienist; KLM Health Safety & Environment, Schiphol and professor of working conditions, Free University, Amsterdam
• GMH Swaen
  epidemiologist; the Dow Chemical Company, Terneuzen
• RA Woutersen,
  toxicologic pathologist; TNO Quality of Life, Zeist
• P Wulp
  occupational physician; Labour Inspectorate, Groningen
• ASAM van der Burght, scientific secretary
  Health Council of the Netherlands, The Hague
• TMM Coenen, scientific secretary
  Health Council of the Netherlands, The Hague
• JM Rijnkels, scientific secretary
  Health Council of the Netherlands, The Hague