Skip to main content

Table 2 Summary of Canadian indicators of lifetime excess cancer risk for known carcinogens and each relevant exposure pathway

From: Risk-based indicators of Canadians’ exposures to environmental carcinogens

Carcinogen

Average Concentration

Data Quality

Lifetime Excess Cancer Risk Estimates

   

Average concentration andCPF1 from:

   

CA2

HC3

EPA4

Indoor Air

     

Arsenic and compounds

---

gap

-

-

-

Asbestos

8.5x10-5 f/ml

very low

10.8

-

1.3

Benzene

2.4 μg/m3

moderate

78.0

11.4

21.1

Benzo[a]pyrene

1.9 x10-4 μg/m3

very low

0.2

< 0.1

-

1,3-Butadiene

0.12 μg/m3

low

23.4

-

3.9

Cadmium and compounds

---

gap

-

-

-

Chromium (hexavalent)

---

gap

-

-

-

Diesel engine exhaust

0.84 μg/m3

very low

300.2

-

-

Formaldehyde

33.3 μg/m3

low/moderate

227.2

-

486.8

Nickel and compounds

8.5 x10-4 μg/m3

low

0.3

0.9

-

Radon

100 Bq/m3

moderate/ high

-

-

23,655.0

TCDD

---

gap

-

-

-

Outdoor Air

     

Arsenic and compounds

4.3x10-4 μg/m3

moderate

0.1

0.3

0.2

Asbestos

2.0 x10-5 f/ml

very low

2.5

-

0.3

Benzene

0.86 μg/m3

high

2.0

0.3

0.5

Benzo[a]pyrene

1.4 x10-4 μg/m3

moderate

<0.1

< 0.1

-

1,3-Butadiene

0.096 μg/m3

high

1.3

-

0.2

Cadmium and compounds

1.2 x10-4 μg/m3

moderate

0.1

0.1

<0.1

Chromium (hexavalent)

1.6 x10-5 μg/m3

low

<0.1

0.1

<0.1

Diesel engine exhaust

1.4 μg/m3

very low

35.6

-

-

Formaldehyde

1.6 μg/m3

moderate

0.8

-

1.7

Nickel and compounds

7.0 x10-4 μg/m3

moderate

<0.1

0.1

-

Radon

24 Bq/m3

moderate

-

-

371.0

TCDD

9.7 x10-10 μg/m3

moderate

<0.1

-

<0.1

Drinking Water

     

Arsenic and compounds

1.9 μg/l

moderate

74.0

88.8

74.0

Benzo[a]pyrene

---

gap

-

-

-

1,3-Butadiene

---

gap

-

-

-

Chromium (hexavalent)

1.2 μg/l

moderate

12.9

-

-

TCDD

---

gap

   

Food and Beverages

     

Arsenic and compounds

varies by food

low

25.9

31.0

25.9

Benzene

varies by food

very low

4.4

10.0

2.4

Benzo[a]pyrene

varies by food

very low

2.2

0.4

1.4

1,3-Butadiene

varies by food

gap

-

-

-

Chromium (hexavalent)

varies by food

gap

-

-

-

TCDD

varies by food

gap

   

Indoor Dust

     

Arsenic and compounds

---

gap

-

-

-

Benzo[a]pyrene

2.91 μg/g

low

22.9

4.4

14.0

Chromium (hexavalent)

4.25 μg/g

very low

1.2

-

-

TCDD

---

gap

   
  1. 1. CPF = cancer potency factor.
  2. 2. CA = California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.
  3. 3. Health Canada.
  4. 4. United States Environmental Protection Agency.
  5. Substances that were negligible or not carcinogenic in a specific pathway were excluded.