| 초록 |
Tannins are complex polyphenolic substances present in plants. They may be classified as either hydrolysable or condensed tannins, and extracts of the latter type have displayed carcinogenic properties in animal studies (Hausen, 1981). The International Agency for Research on Cancer has determined that exposure to airborne wood dust, especially hardwood dust during furniture manufacture, is a cause of sino-nasal cancer, notably nasal adenocarcinoma. It appears that the carcinogenicity potency is in the wood itself and not in decomposition products or in the substances applied to the wood. Tannins have been implicated because hardwoods are thought to contain proportionally more tannin than softwoods. Furthermore, it has been suggested that the elevated sino-nasal cancer risk in shoemakers may also be due to tannin exposure (Bianco and Savolainen, 1994). In a recent Australian nasal cytological study, it was found that hardwood exposure was more likely to be associated with nasal metaplasia in experienced woodworkers (Pisaniello et al, 1995). Thus it is of interest to determine tannin exposures in woodworking processes, and to assess whether tannin exposure, as distinct from wood dust, is a better indicator of sino-nasal risk. This paper examines the tannin content of a range of woods used in Australian furniture manufacture, and also reports airborne tannin levels in two factories.
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