Abstract
Occupational exposure is definitely a major cause of cancer. In the field of urology, the urinary bladder is the most important target. A classical cause of bladder cancer is exposure to carcinogenic aromatic amines, especially benzidine and β-naphthylamine. Such exposures were related to work places in the chemical industry, implying production and processing of classical aromatic amines, and in the rubber industry. Occupational bladder cancer has also been observed in dyers, painters and hairdressers. Even some occupations with much lower exposures to carcinogenic aromatic amines, like coke oven workers or workers in the rubber industry after the ban on β-naphthylamine, are at risk. In these occupations, exposure to complex mixtures of substances containing combustion products (e.g. polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) or nitrosamines is common. Renal cell cancer has been observed as an occupational disease in cases of very high exposure to trichloroethylene having led to narcotic or prenarcotic symptoms. Occupationally related cancers of the prostate or the testes appear currently not relevant.
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Notes
According to the current technical and industrial nomenclature a dye is used in a dissolved state and must therefore be soluble. Pigments are non-soluble and are used in suspensions. Both dyes and pigments comprise the technical entity of colourants.
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Golka, K., Wiese, A., Assennato, G. et al. Occupational exposure and urological cancer. World J Urol 21, 382–391 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00345-003-0377-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00345-003-0377-5