Dust Almanac

Yew

Taxus baccata · Taxaceae · softwood

Also known as: English yew, European yew, common yew

Region: Europe, North Africa and western Asia; widely planted in gardens and churchyards

Planed board of yew with orange-brown heartwood, a band of creamy sapwood and tight wavy growth rings.

Yew is a dense, fine-grained softwood with orange-brown heartwood and creamy sapwood. Woodworkers use it for turning, carving, cabinet work and traditional longbows.

Health hazards

  • Heart effects

    Evidence: Reported

    Swallowing yew needles (leaves), and less often other parts of the plant, can cause life-threatening heart rhythm problems and has caused deaths; the toxic taxine alkaloids have been measured in patients' blood. This evidence is about eating the plant, not about woodworking dust.1234

    Effects
    slow or irregular heartbeat, heart block, ventricular arrhythmia, cardiogenic shock, death
    Exposure route
    ingestion
    From
    leaves

  • Whole-body (systemic) effects

    Evidence: Listed by an agency

    The UK HSE lists headache, a fall in blood pressure and heart effects among reported effects of working yew. We found no primary case report of heart problems from yew wood dust, so how much toxin the dust delivers is unknown.5

    Effects
    headache, drop in blood pressure, cardiac effects
    Exposure route
    inhalation, skin
    From
    dust

  • Skin irritation

    Evidence: Listed by an agency

    The UK HSE lists dermatitis from yew. It does not say whether this is irritation or allergy, and no primary report was found.5

    Effects
    dermatitis
    Exposure route
    skin
    From
    dust

  • Cancer

    Evidence: Applies to all wood dust

    All wood dust is classified as carcinogenic to humans, mainly linked to cancers of the nose and sinuses. This applies to this wood like every other species.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

Workplace exposure limits (8-hour average, mg/m³)
BodyLimitNotes
ACGIH TLV1 mg/m³ (inhalable) source
UK WEL (softwood)5 mg/m³Applies to all softwood dust
NIOSH REL1 mg/m³Recommended limit for all wood dust

Compare limits across agencies.

Cancer classifications

Known compounds

  • taxine B: Most potent cardiotoxic yew alkaloid in isolated heart experiments; slows heart conduction source
  • taxine alkaloids: Block sodium and calcium currents in heart muscle cells source

Other yews (e.g. Pacific yew Taxus brevifolia, Japanese yew Taxus cuspidata) also contain taxine alkaloids; this entry's evidence is from Taxus baccata.

Sources

  1. Grobosch T, Schwarze B, Felgenhauer N, Riesselmann B, Roscher S, Binscheck T. Eight cases of fatal and non-fatal poisoning with Taxus baccata. Forensic Sci Int. 2013;227(1-3):118-126. Link
  2. Reijnen G, Bethlehem C, van Remmen JMBL, Smit HJM, van Luin M, Reijnders UJL. Post-mortem findings in 22 fatal Taxus baccata intoxications and a possible solution to its detection. J Forensic Leg Med. 2017;52:56-61. Link
  3. Alloatti G, Penna C, Levi RC, Gallo MP, Appendino G, Fenoglio I. Effects of yew alkaloids and related compounds on guinea-pig isolated perfused heart and papillary muscle. Life Sci. 1996;58(10):845-854. Link
  4. Tekol Y, Kameyama M. Elektrophysiologische Untersuchungen ueber den Wirkungsmechanismus des Eibentoxins Taxin am Herzen [Electrophysiology of the mechanisms of action of the yew toxin, taxine, on the heart]. Arzneimittelforschung. 1987;37(4):428-431. Link
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. US Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Occupational Chemical Database: Wood Dust. Last updated 06/23/2023. Link

Last reviewed .