Occupational exposure to wood dust and the risk of upper respiratory tract diseases Review article
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Published:
Dec 19, 2025
Keywords:
wood dust, occupational exposure, nasal cavity, rhinitis, sinonasal cancer
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Abstract
Wood dust is a common occupational exposure factor, particularly in carpentry, furniture manufacturing, sawmilling, and construction. The article reviews current knowledge on the impact of occupational exposure to wood dust on upper respiratory tract diseases. Health risks are influenced by the level and duration of exposure, particle characteristics, deposition sites, and individual host factors. Potential disease pathomechanisms are discussed. Workers exposed to wood dust may develop work-related rhinitis, which may progress to occupational asthma. The documented long-term effect is an increased risk of sinonasal cancer, particularly adenocarcinoma. The key role of technical prevention and medical surveillance is emphasised.
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Rapiejko , A., Sosnowski , T. R., Sosnowski , K., & Jurkiewicz, D. (2025). Occupational exposure to wood dust and the risk of upper respiratory tract diseases. Alergoprofil, 21(3), 10-18. https://doi.org/10.24292/01.AP.213191225
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THERAPY
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Copyright: ? Medical Education sp. z o.o. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0). License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), allowing third parties to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format and to remix, transform, and build upon the material, provided the original work is properly cited and states its license.
Address reprint requests to: Medical Education, Marcin Kuźma (marcin.kuzma@mededu.pl)
References
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17. Su WC, Wu J, Marijnissen JCM et al. Deposition of Man-Made Fibers in a Human Nasal Airway. Aerosol Science and Technology. 2008; 42: 173-81.
18. Ma R, Yang F, Wang Y et al. Numerical analysis of Platanus orientalis L. microfiber inhalation exposure in human sinonasal cavities. J Aerosol Sci. 2025; 188: 106617.
19. Dastan A, Abouali O, Ahmadi G. CFD simulation of total and regional fiber deposition in human nasal cavities. J Aerosol Sci. 2014; 69: 132-49.
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21. Binazzi A, Ferrante P, Marinaccio A. Occupational exposure and sinonasal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Cancer. 2015; 15: 49.
22. Sun SS, Hsieh JF, Tsai SC et al. The role of rhinoscintigraphy in the evaluation of nasal mucociliary clearance function in patients with sinusitis. Nucl Med Commun. 2000; 21: 1029-32.
23. Palczynski C, Łacwik P, Kuprys-Lipinska I et al. Nieżyt nosa związany z pracą zawodową. Alergia. 2019; 2: 6-9.
24. Zamora-Sifuentes J, Poole JA. Occupational Rhinitis: An Update. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2023; 23(10): 579-87.
25. Siracusa A, Desrosiers M, Marabini A. Epidemiology of occupational rhinitis: prevalence, aetiology and determinants. Clin Exp Allergy. 2000; 30(11): 1519-34.
26. Moscato G, Vandenplas O, Van Wijk RG et al.; European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunolgy. EAACI position paper on occupational rhinitis. Respir Res. 2009; 10(1): 16.
27. Hox V, Steelant B, Fokkens W et al. Occupational upper airway disease: how work affects the nose. Allergy. 2014; 69: 282-91.
28. Shusterman D. Occupational irritant and allergic rhinitis. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2014; 14(4): 425.
29. Staffieri C, Lovato A, Aielli F et al. Investigating nasal cytology as a potential tool for diagnosing occupational rhinitis in woodworkers. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2015; 5(9): 814-9.
30. Lovato A, Staffieri C, Ottaviano G et al. Woodworkers and the inflammatory effects of softwood/hardwood dust: evidence from nasal cytology. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2016; 273(10): 3195-200.
31. Schlünssen V, Kespohl S, Jacobsen G et al. Immunoglobulin E-mediated sensitization to pine and beech dust in relation to wood dust exposure levels and respiratory symptoms in the furniture industry. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2011; 37(2): 159-67.
32. Schlünssen V, Schaumburg I, Andersen NT et al. Nasal patency is related to dust exposure in woodworkers. Occup Environ Med. 2002; 59(1): 23-9.
33. Zhao YA, Shusterman D. Occupational rhinitis and other work-related upper respiratory tract conditions. Clin Chest Med. 2012; 33(4): 637-47.
34. Franchi A, Miligi L, Palomba A et al. Sinonasal carcinomas: recent advances in molecular and phenotypic characterization and their clinical implications. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2011; 79(3): 265-77.
35. Mensi C, Consonni D, Sieno C et al. Sinonasal cancer and occupational exposure in a population-based registry. Int J Otolaryngol. 2013; 2013: 672621.
36. International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization. IARC Monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risk to humans. Vol. 100 C. Arsenic, metals, fibres and dusts. Agency, Lyon 2012.
37. Siew SS, Martinsen JI, Kjaerheim K et al. Occupational exposure to wood dust and risk of nasal and nasopharyngeal cancer: A case-control study among men in four Nordic countries, with an emphasis on nasal adenocarcinoma. Int J Canc. 2017; 141: 2430-6.
38. Alonso-Sardón M, Chamorro AJ, Hernández-García I et al. Association between occupational exposure to wood dust and cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2015; 10(7): e0133024.
39. Resteghini C, Baujat B, Bossi P et al.; ESMO Guidelines Committee. Sinonasal malignancy: ESMO-EURACAN Clinical Practice Guideline for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. ESMO Open. 2025; 10(2): 104121.
40. Sung H, Ferlay J, Siegel RL et al. Global Cancer Statistics 2020: GLOBOCAN Estimates of Incidence and Mortality Worldwide for 36 Cancers in 185 Countries. CA Cancer J Clin. 2021; 71(3): 209-49.
41. Meng E, Yin J, Jin W et al. Wood dust exposure and risks of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a meta-analysis. Eur J Public Health. 2020; 30(4): 817-22.
42. Beigzadeh Z, Pourhassan B, Kalantary S et al. Occupational exposure to wood dust and risk of nasopharyngeal cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Environ Res. 2019; 171: 170-6.
43. Ekpanyaskul C, Sangrajrang S, Ekburanawat W et al. Semi-quantitative exposure assessment of occupational exposure to wood dust and nasopharyngeal cancer risk. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2015; 16(10): 4339-45.
44. Zhang JX, Xu H, Shen T et al. Wood dust exposure and risk of sinonasal and nasopharyngeal cancer: a meta-analysis. Austin J Derm. 2014; 1(2): 1-5.
45. Hasnaoui M, Lahmar R, Ben Mabrouk A et al. Predictive epidemiological and clinical factors of nasopharyngeal carcinoma diagnosis: Adult versus pediatric population. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2020; 137: 110203.
46. Meng E, Xin Z, Jianrui D et al. Meta-Analysis of the Relationship Between Occupational/Environmental Exposure to Wood Dust and Laryngeal Cancer. Cancer Med. 2024; 13(20): e70330.
47. Shephard EA, Parkinson MA, Hamilton WT. Recognising laryngeal cancer in primary care: a large case-control study using electronic records. Br J Gen Pract. 2019; 69(679): e127-e133.
48. Szewczyńska M, Pośniak M. Ocena narażenia zawodowego na pyły drewna pracowników przemysłu meblarskiego w Polsce. Medycyna Pracy. 2017; 68(1): 45-60.
49. Jacobsen G, Schaumburg I, Sigsgaard T et al. Wood Dust Exposure Levels and Respiratory Symptoms 6 Years Apart: An Observational Intervention Study Within the Danish Furniture Industry. Ann Work Expo Health. 2021; 65(9): 1029-39.
2. Kauppinen T, Vincent R, Liukkonen T et al. Occupational exposure to inhalable wood dust in the member states of the European Union. Ann Occup Hyg. 2006; 50: 549-61.
3. Bujak-Pietrek S, Soćko R, Konieczko K et al. Pyły drewna, wytyczne dla pracodawców, pracowników i służb związanych z bezpieczeństwem i higieną pracy. Instytut Medycyny Pracy im. Prof. J. Noffera, Łódź 2021.
4. Rijs K, van Triel J, Bos P et al. Occupational exposure to wood dust. A systematic review of the literature. RIVM report 2021-0146. RIVM, 2021.
5. Rapiejko A, Sosnowski T, Sosnowski K et al. Experimental analysis of allergenic tree pollen deposition in a three-dimensional anatomical model of the adult nasal cavity. Otolaryngol Pol. 2025; 79(5): 1-20.
6. Socko R, Pakulska D, Szymczak W. Wood dust – inhalable fraction. Documentation of proposed values of occupational exposure limits (OELs). Podstawy i Metody Oceny Środowiska Pracy. 2021; 2(108): 27-138.
7. Jacobsen G, Schaumburg I, Sigsgaard T et al. Non-malignant respiratory diseases and occupational exposure to wood dust. Part I. Fresh wood and mixed wood industry. Ann Agric Environ Med. 2010; 17(1): 15-28.
8. Jacobsen G, Schaumburg I, Sigsgaard T et al. Non-malignant respiratory diseases and occupational exposure to wood dust. Part II. Dry wood industry. Ann Agric Environ Med. 2010;17(1): 29-44.
9. International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization: IARC Monogr Eval Carcinog Risks Hum. Vol. 62. Wood dust and Formaldehyde. Agency, Lyon 1995; 62: 35-215.
10. S.T.O.P. Carcinogens at Work.
11. European Committee for Standardization (CEN). Workplace atmospheres – Size fraction definitions for measurement of airborne particles. Report No. BS EN 481. CEN, London, UK 1993.
12. Shen Z, Tolu Mekonne T, Cai X et al. Experimental measurements of particle deposition in the human nasal airway. Int J Pharm. 2025; 672: 125280.
13. Tian ZF, Inthavong K, Tu JY. Deposition of inhaled wood dust in the nasal cavity. Inhal Toxicol. 2007; 19: 1155-65.
14. Guo Y, Tang Y, Su Y et al. Influencing factors of particle deposition in the human nasal cavity. Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol. 2024; 9(4): e1308.
15. Yu H, Xie Y, Yang X et al. Migration and deposition characteristics of micro-dust in the human upper airway in dust-polluted tunnel environments. J Hazard Mater. 2025; 488: 137371.
16. Sun B, Jia J, Zhou G. Impact of inhalable dust with different material properties and particle morphologies on respiratory deposition in occupational exposure. Process Saf Environ Prot. 2025; 199: 107220.
17. Su WC, Wu J, Marijnissen JCM et al. Deposition of Man-Made Fibers in a Human Nasal Airway. Aerosol Science and Technology. 2008; 42: 173-81.
18. Ma R, Yang F, Wang Y et al. Numerical analysis of Platanus orientalis L. microfiber inhalation exposure in human sinonasal cavities. J Aerosol Sci. 2025; 188: 106617.
19. Dastan A, Abouali O, Ahmadi G. CFD simulation of total and regional fiber deposition in human nasal cavities. J Aerosol Sci. 2014; 69: 132-49.
20. Özler GS, Akoğlu E. Impairment of nasal mucociliary clearance time in wood industry workers. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2020; 277(2): 493-6.
21. Binazzi A, Ferrante P, Marinaccio A. Occupational exposure and sinonasal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Cancer. 2015; 15: 49.
22. Sun SS, Hsieh JF, Tsai SC et al. The role of rhinoscintigraphy in the evaluation of nasal mucociliary clearance function in patients with sinusitis. Nucl Med Commun. 2000; 21: 1029-32.
23. Palczynski C, Łacwik P, Kuprys-Lipinska I et al. Nieżyt nosa związany z pracą zawodową. Alergia. 2019; 2: 6-9.
24. Zamora-Sifuentes J, Poole JA. Occupational Rhinitis: An Update. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2023; 23(10): 579-87.
25. Siracusa A, Desrosiers M, Marabini A. Epidemiology of occupational rhinitis: prevalence, aetiology and determinants. Clin Exp Allergy. 2000; 30(11): 1519-34.
26. Moscato G, Vandenplas O, Van Wijk RG et al.; European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunolgy. EAACI position paper on occupational rhinitis. Respir Res. 2009; 10(1): 16.
27. Hox V, Steelant B, Fokkens W et al. Occupational upper airway disease: how work affects the nose. Allergy. 2014; 69: 282-91.
28. Shusterman D. Occupational irritant and allergic rhinitis. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2014; 14(4): 425.
29. Staffieri C, Lovato A, Aielli F et al. Investigating nasal cytology as a potential tool for diagnosing occupational rhinitis in woodworkers. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2015; 5(9): 814-9.
30. Lovato A, Staffieri C, Ottaviano G et al. Woodworkers and the inflammatory effects of softwood/hardwood dust: evidence from nasal cytology. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2016; 273(10): 3195-200.
31. Schlünssen V, Kespohl S, Jacobsen G et al. Immunoglobulin E-mediated sensitization to pine and beech dust in relation to wood dust exposure levels and respiratory symptoms in the furniture industry. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2011; 37(2): 159-67.
32. Schlünssen V, Schaumburg I, Andersen NT et al. Nasal patency is related to dust exposure in woodworkers. Occup Environ Med. 2002; 59(1): 23-9.
33. Zhao YA, Shusterman D. Occupational rhinitis and other work-related upper respiratory tract conditions. Clin Chest Med. 2012; 33(4): 637-47.
34. Franchi A, Miligi L, Palomba A et al. Sinonasal carcinomas: recent advances in molecular and phenotypic characterization and their clinical implications. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2011; 79(3): 265-77.
35. Mensi C, Consonni D, Sieno C et al. Sinonasal cancer and occupational exposure in a population-based registry. Int J Otolaryngol. 2013; 2013: 672621.
36. International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization. IARC Monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risk to humans. Vol. 100 C. Arsenic, metals, fibres and dusts. Agency, Lyon 2012.
37. Siew SS, Martinsen JI, Kjaerheim K et al. Occupational exposure to wood dust and risk of nasal and nasopharyngeal cancer: A case-control study among men in four Nordic countries, with an emphasis on nasal adenocarcinoma. Int J Canc. 2017; 141: 2430-6.
38. Alonso-Sardón M, Chamorro AJ, Hernández-García I et al. Association between occupational exposure to wood dust and cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2015; 10(7): e0133024.
39. Resteghini C, Baujat B, Bossi P et al.; ESMO Guidelines Committee. Sinonasal malignancy: ESMO-EURACAN Clinical Practice Guideline for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. ESMO Open. 2025; 10(2): 104121.
40. Sung H, Ferlay J, Siegel RL et al. Global Cancer Statistics 2020: GLOBOCAN Estimates of Incidence and Mortality Worldwide for 36 Cancers in 185 Countries. CA Cancer J Clin. 2021; 71(3): 209-49.
41. Meng E, Yin J, Jin W et al. Wood dust exposure and risks of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a meta-analysis. Eur J Public Health. 2020; 30(4): 817-22.
42. Beigzadeh Z, Pourhassan B, Kalantary S et al. Occupational exposure to wood dust and risk of nasopharyngeal cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Environ Res. 2019; 171: 170-6.
43. Ekpanyaskul C, Sangrajrang S, Ekburanawat W et al. Semi-quantitative exposure assessment of occupational exposure to wood dust and nasopharyngeal cancer risk. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2015; 16(10): 4339-45.
44. Zhang JX, Xu H, Shen T et al. Wood dust exposure and risk of sinonasal and nasopharyngeal cancer: a meta-analysis. Austin J Derm. 2014; 1(2): 1-5.
45. Hasnaoui M, Lahmar R, Ben Mabrouk A et al. Predictive epidemiological and clinical factors of nasopharyngeal carcinoma diagnosis: Adult versus pediatric population. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2020; 137: 110203.
46. Meng E, Xin Z, Jianrui D et al. Meta-Analysis of the Relationship Between Occupational/Environmental Exposure to Wood Dust and Laryngeal Cancer. Cancer Med. 2024; 13(20): e70330.
47. Shephard EA, Parkinson MA, Hamilton WT. Recognising laryngeal cancer in primary care: a large case-control study using electronic records. Br J Gen Pract. 2019; 69(679): e127-e133.
48. Szewczyńska M, Pośniak M. Ocena narażenia zawodowego na pyły drewna pracowników przemysłu meblarskiego w Polsce. Medycyna Pracy. 2017; 68(1): 45-60.
49. Jacobsen G, Schaumburg I, Sigsgaard T et al. Wood Dust Exposure Levels and Respiratory Symptoms 6 Years Apart: An Observational Intervention Study Within the Danish Furniture Industry. Ann Work Expo Health. 2021; 65(9): 1029-39.