Size Selective Dustiness and Exposure; Simulated Workplace Comparisons

• Published in: The Annals of occupational hygiene Vol. 50; no. 5; pp. 445 - 452
• Main Authors: BROUWER, DERK H., LINKS, INGRID H. M., DE VREEDE, SJAAK A. F., CHRISTOPHER, YVETTE
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01.07.2006
• Subjects: Air; Air Pollutants, Occupational - analysis; Aluminum Oxide - analysis; Applied sciences; Atmospheric pollution; Biological and medical sciences; Calcium Carbonate - analysis; Dust - analysis; dust exposure; dustiness; Environmental pollutants toxicology; Exact sciences and technology; Humans; Indoor pollution and occupational exposure; Inhalation Exposure - analysis; manual powder handling operations; Materials Testing - methods; Medical sciences; Occupational Exposure - analysis; Particle Size; Pollution; size-selective sampling; Stearic Acids - analysis; Toxicology; Particle size; Work place; manual powder handling operations; Size; Samplings; Occupational exposure; Powder; Concentration measurement; dustiness; Ambient air concentration; dust exposure; Dust; Simulation; Indoor pollution; Air pollution; size-selective sampling; Measurement method; Sampling; Comparative study; Occupational medicine; Handling
• ISSN: 0003-4878; 1475-3162; 1475-3162
• DOI: 10.1093/annhyg/mel015

A simulated workplace study was conducted to investigate the relation between inhalation exposure and dustiness determined with a rotating drum dustiness tester. Three powders were used in the study, i.e. magnesium stearate, representing a very dusty powder, and aluminium oxide and calcium carbonate, representing low and very low dusty powders, respectively. Two scenarios of handling small volume of powders were included; sweeping/cleaning and scooping/weighing/adding. Size-selective dust exposure was assessed using MultiDust (dual-fraction) IOM and RespiCon® sampling heads. For the present operation scenarios, dustiness showed itself to be the major determinant of exposure and explained ∼70% of the exposure variances. The ratios of respirable and inhalable fractions as determined by dustiness tests were comparable with the ratios observed for exposure. The results emphasize the relevance of dustiness as a parameter to characterize substances according to potential for exposure.