This is for when people ask about wood bedding hazards. Pine pellet
litter has typically has the volatile components removed, but wood
stove pellets (which some people have used in the past do not and
actually contain some woods which are even more associated with
carcinogenic effects).

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajim.4700240511/abstract

Carcinogenic effects of wood dust: Review and discussion

 - Leena A. Nylander MS1,*,
 - John M. Dement PhD, CIH2,â€

Article first published online: 19 JAN 2007

DOI: 10.1002/ajim.4700240511

Copyright © 1993 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company

Issue
American Journal of Industrial Medicine
Volume 24, Issue 5, pages 619--647, November 1993

Keywords:
 -  wood dust;
 -  occupational exposure;
 -  furniture workers;
 -  carpenters;
 -  nasal cancer;
 -  occupational disease;
 -  toxicity;
 -  mutagenicity;
 -  prevention

Abstract
Occupational exposure to wood dust (alone or chemically treated) is
associated with an increased risk of developing adenocarcinoma of the
nasal cavity. The specific causative agents, i.e., wood dust alone
(natural products), wood dust with additives used in the processing or
manufacturing of wood products, and/or physical determinants of wood
dust and the associated risk factors, are not known or understood.

The strongest association of exposure to wood dust and development of
nasal cancer is observed in those occupations where workers are exposed
to hard wood dust and chemical additives are not used. The time between
first occupational exposure to wood dust and the development of
adenocarcinoma of the nasal cavity averages 40 years (range 7--70
years). The epidemiological data available are not sufficient to make
a definitive assessment between wood dust exposure and increased risk
for cancer other than nasal cancer.

The toxicity, mutagenicity, and carcinogenicity of wood dust to
laboratory animals or in vitro with animal or microbial cells have not
been throughly studied. Thus there is no direct experimental evidence
on the potential hazards of wood dust. Data are insufficient or lacking
on 1) wood dust exposure levels in ambient air and worker's breathing
zone, and the deposition in the nasal cavity; 2) hard vs. soft wood
dusts; 3) particle size and shape; 4) chemical composition of wood
dust and the extent of contamination with chemical additives; and 5)
interaction between inhaled wood dust, chronic irritation, and tobacco
smoking. These data are required so that one can understand the
association between wood dust exposure and nasal cavity tumors, along
with demographic differences in cancer rates, and to develop strategies
for intervention and reduction of disease causing agents in order to
reduce risk to wood industry workers. (c)1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Here is a grad student compilation paper has useful info:

http://www.trifl.org/cedar.shtml

That link above is a meta-paper up to the mid 1990s with many
references.


These PubMed abstracts may also be of interest; I I know that oak and
beech have not been publicly mentioned in ferret discussions in
relation to carcinogenic aspects:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8231799
(abstract below)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/189039
(abstract below)

Med Pr. 1993;44(3):277-88.
[Biological effect of wood dust].
[Article in Polish]
Maciejewska A, Wojtczak J, Bielichowska-Cybula G, Domanska A,
Dutkiewicz J, Motocznik A.
Source
Zaktadu Aerozoli Instytutu Medycyny Pracy, Lodzi.
Abstract
The biological effect of exposure to wood dust depends on its
composition and the content of microorganisms which are an inherent
element of the dust. The irritant and allergic effects of wood dust
have been recognised for a long time. The allergic effect is caused
by the wood dust of subtropical trees, e.g. western red cedar (Thuja
plicata), redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), obeche (Triplochiton
scleroxylon), cocabolla (Dalbergia retusa) and others. Trees growing
in the European climate such as: larch (Larix), walnut (Juglans regia),
oak (Quercus), beech (Fagus), pine (Pinus) cause a little less
pronounced allergic effect. Occupational exposure to irritative or
allergic wood dust may lead to bronchial asthma, rhinitis, alveolitis
allergica, DDTS (Organic dust toxic syndrome), bronchitis, allergic
dermatitis, conjunctivitis. An increased risk of adenocarcinoma of the
sinonasal cavity is an important and serious problem associated with
occupational exposure to wood dust. Adenocarcinoma constitutes about
half of the total number of cancers induced by wood dust. An increased
incidence of the squamous cell cancers can also be observed. The
highest risk of cancer applies to workers of the furniture industry,
particularly those dealing with machine wood processing, cabinet making
and carpentry. The cancer of the upper respiratory tract develops after
exposure to many kinds of wood dust. However, the wood dust of oak and
beech seems to be most carcinogenic. It is assumed that exposure to
wood dust can cause an increased incidence of other cancers, especially
lung cancer and Hodgkin's disease. The adverse effects of
microorganisms, mainly mould fungi and their metabolic products are
manifested by alveolitis allergica and ODTS. These microorganisms can
induce aspergillomycosis, bronchial asthma, rhinitis and allergic
dermatitis.
PMID: 8231799 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

J Natl Cancer Inst. 1977 Jan;58(1):149-50.
Possible carcinogenic effects of cedar shavings in bedding of C3H-Avy
fB mice.
Vlahakis G.
Abstract
C3H-AvyfB female mice were tested on bedding consisting only of
low-resin pine and on bedding ofpine plus cedar shavings. Tumor
occurrences were similar in both groups of animals, with a slightly
lower incidence and slightly higher average age for mammary gland
tumors in the females on bedding of pine plus cedar. From these
results, the high incidence of cancer in the C3H-AvyfB strain could
not be attributed to the routine use of cedar shavings in the bedding
material.
PMID: 189039 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

(2010, Steve Crandall)

[Posted in FML 7351]