Mahogany
Swietenia spp. · Meliaceae · hardwood
Also known as: genuine mahogany, Honduran mahogany, big-leaf mahogany, Cuban mahogany, West Indian mahogany, American mahogany, Swietenia macrophylla, Swietenia mahagoni
Region: Tropical Americas: Mexico, Central and South America, Caribbean
Genuine mahogany comes from Swietenia trees, chiefly big-leaf or Honduran mahogany (S. macrophylla) and the now scarce Cuban or West Indian mahogany (S. mahagoni). It is a stable, easily worked reddish-brown hardwood long prized for fine furniture, cabinetry, boat building and guitar bodies.
Health hazards
-
Skin allergy
Evidence: Listed by an agency
Skin rashes are reported in people who work mahogany, and a UK agency lists dermatitis among its effects. A case report describes work-related dermatitis from Honduran mahogany, and a Finnish clinic recorded positive patch tests to a wood sold as mahogany.123
- Effects
- dermatitis
- Exposure route
- skin
- From
- dust
-
Respiratory irritation
Evidence: Listed by an agency
The UK safety regulator lists breathing problems and irritation of the nose, throat and eyes among the reported effects of mahogany dust.1
- Effects
- respiratory symptoms, mucous membrane irritation
- Exposure route
- inhalation, eyes
- From
- dust
-
Asthma / respiratory allergy
Evidence: Reported
Occupational asthma from American mahogany (S. mahagoni) is listed in a peer-reviewed review of wood dust allergy, based on a German workplace study we have not yet been able to check directly.4
- Effects
- asthma
- Exposure route
- inhalation
- From
- dust
-
Cancer
Evidence: Listed by an agency
ACGIH names mahogany dust as a suspected human carcinogen (class A2). The listing does not say which botanical mahogany is meant; we apply it to genuine Swietenia mahogany.5
- Effects
- nasal and sinus cancer
- Exposure route
- inhalation
- From
- dust
-
Cancer
Evidence: Applies to all wood dust
IARC classifies all wood dust as carcinogenic to humans, mainly linked to cancers of the nasal cavity and sinuses after long-term exposure.6
- 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
| Body | Limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ACGIH TLV | 1 mg/m³ (inhalable) | source |
| EU binding limit (hardwood) | 2 mg/m³ | Applies to all hardwood dust |
| UK WEL (hardwood) | 3 mg/m³ | Applies to all hardwood dust |
| NIOSH REL | 1 mg/m³ | Recommended limit for all wood dust |
Cancer classifications
- ACGIH: A2 source
Sources
- 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
- Fowler JF Jr. Occupational dermatitis to Honduran mahogany. Contact Dermatitis. 1985;13(5):336-337. Link
- Estlander T, Jolanki R, Alanko K, Kanerva L. Occupational allergic contact dermatitis caused by wood dusts. Contact Dermatitis. 2001;44(4):213-7. Link
- 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
- US Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Occupational Chemical Database: Wood Dust. Last updated 06/23/2023. Link
- 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
Last reviewed .