This volume of the IARC Monographs provides an assessment of the carcinogenicity of fluoro-edenite fibrous amphibole, silicon carbide fibres and whiskers, and carbon nanotubes, including single-walled and multiwalled types. None of these agents had been assessed previously by the IARC Monographs Working Group.

The Working Group relied mainly on epidemiological studies to evaluate the carcinogenic hazard to humans exposed to fluoro-edenite fibrous amphibole, an environmental contaminant that was reported to cause mesothelioma in the regional population of Biancavilla, Sicily, Italy.

Silicon carbide fibres are by-products of the manufacture of silicon carbide particles by the Acheson process; silicon carbide whiskers are produced by other processes. The evaluations of the fibres and of the occupational exposures associated with the Acheson process were mainly based on epidemiological studies, whereas the assessment of the whiskers – in the absence of epidemiological data – was based on carcinogenicity bioassays and consideration of their physical properties.

In view of the absence of epidemiological studies on carbon nanotubes and the limited information available from mechanistic data, the evaluations of single-walled and multiwalled carbon nanotubes relied essentially on carcinogenicity bioassays.

Contents

• NOTE TO THE READER
• List of Participants
• PREAMBLE
• General Remarks
• Carbon Nanotubes
  • 1. Exposure Data
    • 1.1. Chemical and physical properties
    • 1.2. Sampling and analytical methods
    • 1.3. Production and use
    • 1.4. Occurrence and exposure
    • 1.5. Regulations and guidelines
  • 2. Cancer in Humans
  • 3. Cancer in Experimental Animals
    • 3.1. MWCNT
    • 3.2. SWCNT
  • 4. Mechanistic and Other Relevant Data
    • 4.1. Deposition, phagocytosis, translocation, retention, and clearance
    • 4.2. Physico-chemical properties associated with toxicity
    • 4.3. Genetic and related effects
    • 4.4. Other mechanisms of carcinogenesis
    • 4.5. Susceptible populations
    • 4.6. Mechanistic considerations
  • 5. Summary of Data Reported
    • 5.1. Exposure data
    • 5.2. Human carcinogenicity data
    • 5.3. Animal carcinogenicity data
    • 5.4. Mechanistic and other relevant data
  • 6. Evaluation
    • 6.1. Cancer in humans
    • 6.2. Cancer in experimental animals
    • 6.3. Overall evaluation
  • References
• Fluoro-edenite
  • 1. Exposure Data
    • 1.1. Chemical and physical properties
    • 1.2. Sampling and analytical methods
    • 1.3. Production and use
    • 1.4. Environmental occurrence
    • 1.5. Exposure of the general population
  • 2. Cancer in Humans
    • 2.1. Introduction
    • 2.2. Mesothelioma
    • 2.3. Cancer of the lung
    • 2.4. Other neoplasms
  • 3. Cancer in Experimental Animals
    • Rat
  • 4. Mechanistic and Other Relevant Data
    • 4.1. Deposition, phagocytosis, retention, translocation, and clearance
    • 4.2. Physico-chemical properties associated with toxicity
    • 4.3. Genetic and related effects
    • 4.4. Other mechanistic data relevant to carcinogenesis
    • 4.5. Susceptible populations
    • 4.6. Mechanistic considerations
  • 5. Summary of Data Reported
    • 5.1. Exposure data
    • 5.2. Human carcinogenicity data
    • 5.3. Animal carcinogenicity data
    • 5.4. Mechanistic and other relevant data
  • 6. Evaluation and rationale
    • 6.1. Cancer in humans
    • 6.2. Cancer in experimental animals
    • 6.3. Overall evaluation
  • References
• SILICON CARBIDE
  • 1. Exposure Data
    • 1.1. Chemical and physical properties
    • 1.2. Sampling and analytical methods
    • 1.3. Production and use
    • 1.4. Natural occurrence
    • 1.5. Exposure
    • 1.6. Regulations and guidelines
  • 2. Cancer in Humans
    • 2.1. Introduction
    • 2.2. Silicon-carbide production industry
    • 2.3. Silicon-carbide user industry
  • 3. Cancer in Experimental Animals
    • 3.1. Inhalation
    • 3.2. Intratracheal instillation
    • 3.3. Intrapleural implantation
    • 3.4. Intraperitoneal injection
  • 4. Mechanistic and Other Relevant Data
    • 4.1. Deposition, phagocytosis, retention, translocation, and clearance
    • 4.2. Physico-chemical properties associated with toxicity
    • 4.3. Genetic and related effects
    • 4.4. Other mechanisms of carcinogenesis
    • 4.5. Susceptible populations
    • 4.6. Mechanistic considerations
  • 5. Summary of Data Reported
    • 5.1. Exposure data
    • 5.2. Human carcinogenicity data
    • 5.3. Animal carcinogenicity data
    • 5.4. Mechanistic and other relevant data
  • 6. Evaluation
    • 6.1. Cancer in humans
    • 6.2. Cancer in experimental animals
    • 6.3. Overall evaluation
    • 6.4. Rationale
  • References
• List of Abbreviations

This publication represents the views and expert opinions of an IARC Working Group on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans, which met in Lyon, 30 September–7 October 2014

Lyon, France - 2017

IARC MONOGRAPHS

In 1969, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) initiated a programme on the evaluation of the carcinogenic risk of chemicals to humans involving the production of critically evaluated monographs on individual chemicals. The programme was subsequently expanded to include evaluations of carcinogenic risks associated with exposures to complex mixtures, lifestyle factors and biological and physical agents, as well as those in specific occupations. The objective of the programme is to elaborate and publish in the form of monographs critical reviews of data on carcinogenicity for agents to which humans are known to be exposed and on specific exposure situations; to evaluate these data in terms of human risk with the help of international working groups of experts in carcinogenesis and related fields; and to indicate where additional research efforts are needed. The lists of IARC evaluations are regularly updated and are available on the Internet at http://monographs.iarc.fr/.

This programme has been supported since 1982 by Cooperative Agreement U01 CA33193 with the United States National Cancer Institute, Department of Health and Human Services. Additional support has been provided since 1986 by the European Commission Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs, and Inclusion, initially by the Unit of Health, Safety and Hygiene at Work, and since 2014 by the European Union Programme for Employment and Social Innovation “EaSI” (2014–2020) (for further information please consult: http://ec.europa.eu/social/easi). Support has also been provided since 1992 by the United States National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Department of Health and Human Services. The contents of this volume are solely the responsibility of the Working Group and do not necessarily represent the official views of the United States National Cancer Institute, the United States National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the United States Department of Health and Human Services, or the European Commission.

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• Online publication, 19 May 2017
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