Workplace exposure to known and suspected carcinogens, Canada, 2006
| IARC group | Agent | Data quality | n Exposed at work | % Of total workforce | Exposure levels available |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carcinogenic agents (IARC 1) | Solar radiation | Moderate | 1 476 000 | 8.8 | Yes |
| Diesel engine exhaust | Low | 781 000 | 4.6 | No | |
| Silica (crystalline) | High | 382 000 | 2.3 | Yes | |
| Benzene | High | 374 000 | 2.2 | Yes | |
| Wood dust | High | 338 000 | 2.0 | Yes | |
| Asbestos | Low | 151 000 | 0.90 | No | |
| Formaldehyde | High | 151 000 | 0.90 | Yes | |
| Ultraviolet radiation (artificial sources) | Moderate | 141 000 | 0.83 | Yes | |
| Chromium (hexavalent) | High | 104 000 | 0.61 | Yes | |
| Ionising radiation | Moderate-high | 37 000–78 000 | 0.22–0.46 | Yes | |
| Cadmium | High | 31 000 | 0.18 | Yes | |
| Arsenic | Moderate | 25 000 | 0.15 | No | |
| Trichloroethylene | Moderate | 9800 | 0.06 | Yes | |
| Polychlorinated biphenyls | Low | 8200 | 0.05 | No | |
| Coal tar and coal tar pitches | Low | 7600 | 0.05 | No | |
| Beryllium | Low | 3900 | 0.02 | No | |
| 1,3-Butadiene | Low | 3900 | 0.02 | No | |
| Ethylene oxide | Moderate | 2400 | 0.01 | Yes | |
| Probable carcinogenic agents (IARC 2A) | Shift work with potential for circadian disruption | High | 1 900 000 | 11.6 | Yes |
| Tetrachloroethylene | High | 15 000 | 0.09 | Yes | |
| Acrylamide | Low | 9300 | 0.05 | No | |
| Epichlorohydrin | Low | 6600 | 0.04 | No | |
| Creosotes | Low | 4800 | 0.03 | No | |
| Possible carcinogenic agents (IARC 2B) | Ethylbenzene | Low | 208 000 | 1.2 | No |
| Styrene | High | 89 000 | 0.53 | Yes | |
| Bitumens | Low | 44 000 | 0.26 | No | |
| Dichloromethane | Moderate | 25 000 | 0.15 | Yes | |
| Toluene diisocyanates | Low | 24 000 | 0.14 | No | |
| Chloroform | Low | 15 000 | 0.09 | No | |
| Antimony trioxide | Low | 9700 | 0.06 | No | |
| Acetaldehyde | Low | 8600 | 0.05 | No | |
| Naphthalene | Low | 7700 | 0.05 | No | |
| Vanadium pentoxide | Low | 7100 | 0.04 | No | |
| Acrylonitrile | Low | 5900 | 0.04 | No | |
| Pentachlorophenol | Low | 4300 | 0.03 | No | |
| 1,4-Dioxane | Low | 3700 | 0.02 | No | |
| Refractory ceramic fibres | Low | 3200 | 0.02 | No | |
| 1,2-Dichloroethane | Low | 2000 | 0.01 | No | |
| Nitrobenzene | Low | 500 | <0.01 | No | |
| Mixed carcinogenic exposures | |||||
| Possible/probable carcinogenic agent (IARC 2B and 2A) | Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons | Low | 350 000 | 2.1 | No |
| Possible/probable carcinogenic agent (IARC 2B and 2A) | Lead | High | 277 000 | 1.6 | Yes |
| Possible/carcinogenic agent (IARC 2B and 1) | Nickel | High | 117 000 | 0.69 | Yes |
| Probable/carcinogenic agents (IARC 2A and 1) | Antineoplastic agents | Moderate | 58 000 | 0.34 | Yes |
| Possible/probable carcinogenic agents (IARC 2B and 2A) | Cobalt | High | 33 000 | 0.19 | Yes |
IARC, International Agency for Research on Cancer.