[Exposure to carcinogens in industry. Evaluation of the situation and proposition of an information system].

This article presents an estimate of occupational exposure from carcinogens in the industrial plants belonging to the former departments of chemistry and light industry. The occurrence of 13 compounds listed as carcinogens in the list prepared in 1985 by the Chief Sanitary Inspector and 40 substances suspected of carcinogenic effects on the basis of the list prepared by the Institute of Occupational Medicine was taken into account. In the industries mentioned, 11 thousand persons were found to be exposed to the factors considered to be carcinogenic. The most numerous group constituted the employees working in contact with benzene (50%), vinyl chloride (19%), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (17%) and asbestos (11%). A system of collection, analysis and qualitative evaluation of the information on exposure to those factors is necessary to enable efficient control of exposure to those factors. Basing on the experiences gained in the course of data collection and verification, the guidelines and documentation for "A System of Information on Carcinogenic Substances" presented in this article, have been prepared.