Biomaterial Database

Proposal of a tiered approach to assessing and classifying the health risk of exposure to fibres. 1995

P Brochard, and J Bignon

INSERM Unit 139, Hôpital Henri Mondor, Creteil, France.

The basis of a preventative health policy for humans against potential risks from chemical products is based on risk assessment leading to the classification and labeling of substances. However, the different existing classifications do not give an homogeneous framework that can be used in every country. Therefore, a tiered approach to assessing and classifying the health risk of exposure to fibres is proposed based on the EU Directive on carcinogens. The aim of this paper is to propose an algorithm for the risk assessment of existing and future fibres. Clearly chemically defined respirable fibres should be classified according to an algorithm based on a step-by-step procedure: a priori criteria, screening tests, long-term inhalation tests and epidemiological data (for commercial fibres). Then fibre-containing products should be labelled according to the classification of each type of fibre it contains, on one hand, and the ability of the product to release fibre in the air, on the other. The different tests listed in this algorithm, extensively discussed during the Workshop, are presented in detail in the following paper.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D004781	Environmental Exposure	The exposure to potentially harmful chemical, physical, or biological agents in the environment or to environmental factors that may include ionizing radiation, pathogenic organisms, or toxic chemicals.	Exposure, Environmental,Environmental Exposures,Exposures, Environmental
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D015197	Carcinogenicity Tests	Tests to experimentally measure the tumor-producing/cancer cell-producing potency of an agent by administering the agent (e.g., benzanthracenes) and observing the quantity of tumors or the cell transformation developed over a given period of time. The carcinogenicity value is usually measured as milligrams of agent administered per tumor developed. Though this test differs from the DNA-repair and bacterial microsome MUTAGENICITY TESTS, researchers often attempt to correlate the finding of carcinogenicity values and mutagenicity values.	Tumorigenicity Tests,Carcinogen Tests,Carcinogenesis Tests,Carcinogenic Activity Tests,Carcinogenic Potency Tests,Carcinogen Test,Carcinogenesis Test,Carcinogenic Activity Test,Carcinogenic Potency Test,Carcinogenicity Test,Potency Test, Carcinogenic,Potency Tests, Carcinogenic,Test, Carcinogen,Test, Carcinogenesis,Test, Carcinogenic Activity,Test, Carcinogenic Potency,Test, Carcinogenicity,Test, Tumorigenicity,Tests, Carcinogen,Tests, Carcinogenesis,Tests, Carcinogenic Activity,Tests, Carcinogenic Potency,Tests, Carcinogenicity,Tests, Tumorigenicity,Tumorigenicity Test
D018570	Risk Assessment	The qualitative or quantitative estimation of the likelihood of adverse effects that may result from exposure to specified health hazards or from the absence of beneficial influences. (Last, Dictionary of Epidemiology, 1988)	Assessment, Risk,Benefit-Risk Assessment,Risk Analysis,Risk-Benefit Assessment,Health Risk Assessment,Risks and Benefits,Analysis, Risk,Assessment, Benefit-Risk,Assessment, Health Risk,Assessment, Risk-Benefit,Benefit Risk Assessment,Benefit-Risk Assessments,Benefits and Risks,Health Risk Assessments,Risk Analyses,Risk Assessment, Health,Risk Assessments,Risk Benefit Assessment,Risk-Benefit Assessments
D019016	Mineral Fibers	Long, pliable, cohesive natural or manufactured filaments of various lengths. They form the structure of some minerals. The medical significance lies in their potential ability to cause various types of PNEUMOCONIOSIS (e.g., ASBESTOSIS) after occupational or environmental exposure. (From McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed, p708)	Mineral Fiber,Synthetic Vitreous Fibers,Fiber, Mineral,Fibers, Mineral,Fibers, Synthetic Vitreous,Vitreous Fibers, Synthetic