Dust Almanac

Opepe

Nauclea diderrichii · Rubiaceae · hardwood

Also known as: bilinga, badi, kusia

Region: West and Central Africa

Planed board of opepe with golden orange-brown heartwood and a broad ribbon stripe from interlocked grain.

A heavy, very durable West African hardwood with golden-yellow to orange-brown heartwood. Used for marine work, piling, heavy construction, and hard-wearing flooring.

Health hazards

  • Skin irritation

    Evidence: Listed by an agency

    HSE lists dermatitis among reported effects of opepe.1

    Effects
    dermatitis
    Exposure route
    skin
    From
    dust

  • Respiratory irritation

    Evidence: Listed by an agency

    HSE lists irritation of the nose and throat, nose bleeds, and spitting blood among reported effects of opepe dust.1

    Effects
    mucous membrane irritation, nose bleeds, blood spitting
    Exposure route
    inhalation
    From
    dust

  • Whole-body (systemic) effects

    Evidence: Listed by an agency

    HSE also lists nervous system effects such as giddiness and changes in vision. No primary report of these effects was found during this review.1

    Effects
    giddiness, visual disturbance
    Exposure route
    inhalation
    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 opepe dust as it does to any other wood.2

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 Withdrawn from hse.gov.uk (404 since c. Jan 2020); archived copy cited.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

Last reviewed .