Dust Almanac

Birch

Betula spp. · Betulaceae · hardwood

Also known as: yellow birch, paper birch, silver birch, Baltic birch

Region: Northern temperate and boreal regions of Europe, Asia and North America

Planed board of yellow birch with pale creamy sapwood and light golden-brown heartwood.

Birches give a pale, fine-textured hardwood. Yellow birch is a common North American furniture and cabinet wood, and silver and downy birch from northern Europe are the basis of Baltic birch plywood. It is also used for turnery, flooring and veneer.

Health hazards

  • Skin irritation

    Evidence: Listed by an agency

    UK HSE lists dermatitis when sawing birch lumber. The mechanism (irritant or allergic) is not specified.1

    Effects
    dermatitis
    Exposure route
    skin
    From
    dust

  • Asthma / respiratory allergy

    Evidence: Reported

    A Swedish study of furniture workers with nasal symptoms found a few with positive skin prick tests to wood dusts, which a later review lists as including birch. Species-level confirmation was not checked in the original paper.23

    Effects
    rhinitis, allergic sensitization
    Exposure route
    inhalation
    From
    dust

  • Cancer

    Evidence: Applies to all wood dust

    IARC classifies all wood dust as carcinogenic to humans, mainly linked to cancer of the nasal cavity and sinuses after long, heavy exposure. This applies to this wood like any other.4

    Effects
    nasal and sinus cancer
    Exposure route
    inhalation
    From
    dust

  • Cancer

    Evidence: Listed by an agency

    ACGIH names birch dust specifically as a suspected human carcinogen (A2).5

    Effects
    nasal and sinus cancer
    Exposure route
    inhalation
    From
    dust

Not finding a hazard listed here does not mean this wood is safe. All wood dust is hazardous; see how to protect yourself.

Exposure limits

Workplace exposure limits (8-hour average, mg/m³)
BodyLimitNotes
ACGIH TLV1 mg/m³ (inhalable)8-hour TWA; ACGIH value as restated by OSHA. source
EU binding limit (hardwood)2 mg/m³Applies to all hardwood dust
UK WEL (hardwood)3 mg/m³Applies to all hardwood dust
NIOSH REL1 mg/m³Recommended limit for all wood dust

Compare limits across agencies.

Cancer classifications

Evidence is reported for 'birch' without a species name. Birch pollen allergy is common, but pollen allergy is a separate issue from wood dust exposure.

Sources

  1. Health and Safety Executive. Toxic woods. Woodworking Information Sheet No 30 (Revision 1), WIS30(rev1). HSE; first published 11/2012. Withdrawn from hse.gov.uk (404 since c. Jan 2020); archived copy cited. Link
  2. Wilhelmsson B, Jernudd Y, Ripe E, Holmberg K. Nasal hypersensitivity in wood furniture workers. An allergological and immunological investigation with special reference to mould and wood. Allergy. 1984;39(8):586-595. Link
  3. Schlünssen V, Sigsgaard T, Raulf-Heimsoth M, Kespohl S. Workplace exposure to wood dust and the prevalence of wood-specific sensitization. Allergol Select. 2018;2(1):101-110. Link
  4. IARC Working Group on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. Wood Dust and Formaldehyde. IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans, Vol. 62. Lyon: International Agency for Research on Cancer; 1995. Link
  5. US Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Occupational Chemical Database: Wood Dust. Last updated 06/23/2023. Link

Last reviewed .