Dust Almanac

Okoume

Aucoumea klaineana · Burseraceae · hardwood

Also known as: okoumé, gaboon, gaboon mahogany

Region: Central Africa (Gabon and neighboring countries)

Planed board of okoume with even light pinkish-brown wood and a faint ribbon stripe.

A light, soft, pinkish-brown hardwood that peels well into large veneers. Mostly met as plywood, especially marine and boatbuilding plywood, and as blockboard and veneer.

Health hazards

  • Asthma / respiratory allergy

    Evidence: Listed by an agency

    HSE lists asthma and cough among reported effects of gaboon (okoume). A wood-allergy review also lists it as a reported cause of occupational asthma, though the original case data were not available for checking.12

    Effects
    asthma, cough
    Exposure route
    inhalation
    From
    dust

  • Eye irritation

    Evidence: Listed by an agency

    HSE lists eye irritation from gaboon dust.1

    Effects
    eye irritation
    Exposure route
    eyes
    From
    dust

  • Skin irritation

    Evidence: Listed by an agency

    HSE lists skin effects, particularly on the hands and eyelids, from working with gaboon.1

    Effects
    skin effects on hands, skin effects on eyelids
    Exposure route
    skin
    From
    dust

  • Cancer

    Evidence: Applies to all wood dust

    IARC classifies all wood dust as carcinogenic to humans, chiefly through cancers of the nose and sinuses. This applies to okoume dust as it does to any other wood.3

    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) 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

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 Withdrawn from hse.gov.uk (404 since c. Jan 2020); archived copy cited.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. 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
  3. 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
  4. US Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Occupational Chemical Database: Wood Dust. Last updated 06/23/2023. Link

Last reviewed .