What talc is and where it is used

Talc is a mineral that is mined from the ground and then milled. You may know it best as talcum powder.

This page isn't connected with any company called Talc, or with any law firm or claim firm.

Where talc is used

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) lists the uses. Talc goes into plastics, ceramics, paint and paper. It is also used in roofing materials, rubber goods, animal feed, food and fertilisers.

It goes into cosmetics and medicines as well. IARC names one hospital use too, a procedure called pleurodesis.

Talc in food

Talc is one of the food additives approved in the UK. The Food Standards Agency lists it as E553b.

Talc dust at work

IARC says that people who work with talc breathe in its dust mainly where it is mined and milled. Workers further down the line can breathe it in too.

The HSE, the Health and Safety Executive, sets a limit on talc dust in the workplace. Its table of limits, EH40, gives 1 milligram of respirable talc dust per cubic metre of air, averaged over 8 hours. EH40 explains that respirable dust is the part fine enough to reach the deepest part of the lungs, where air passes into the blood.

What IARC found about talc and cancer

In July 2024, IARC classed talc as probably carcinogenic to humans. That is its Group 2A.

IARC rated the evidence in people as limited. It rated the evidence in experimental animals as sufficient, and the evidence from cells and lab systems as strong.

IARC also notes that asbestos is found in some talc deposits. In its words, asbestos has been shown to contaminate some talc products. Talc that contains asbestos keeps the classification IARC gives asbestos, Group 1, which means carcinogenic to humans.

IARC says the general public can come into contact with talc through products made with it, such as body powders.

Symptoms and when to see a GP

If you're worried about your health, or have symptoms that don't go away, see your GP. The NHS website explains symptoms and when to get help.

The NHS says mesothelioma is usually caused by exposure to asbestos.

Useful links