An IARC Working Group recently classified crystalline silica(quartz)into IRAC's Group 1, i.e. a carcinogen. This classification is based on evidence of carcinogenicity in experimental animals and in humans. However, the evaluated stated that in making the overall evaluation, the Working Group noted that carcinogenicity to humans was not detected in all industrial circumstances Studied and that carinogenicity may be dependent on inherent characteristics of the crystalline Silica or on external factors affecting its biological activity. The present review seeks to put the Apparently conflicting findings of cancer incidence in quartz-exposed industries into a unifying Thesis, based on mechanistic studies.
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