Occupational dust exposure

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A video on cleaning dust from workers' clothing

Occupational dust exposure occurs when small particles are generated at the workplace through the disturbance/agitation of rock/mineral, dry grain, timber, fiber, or other material. When these small particles become suspended in the air, they can pose a risk to the health of those who breath in the contaminated air.

Contents

There are many dust-producing activities across a broad range of industries, including agriculture, construction, forestry, and mining. As such, the nature of occupational dust exposures can vary greatly by chemical composition, size, concentration, and toxicity to humans. Depending on the source, dust composition can include mineral dusts, heavy metals, respiratory sensitizers (chemicals that can cause allergic reactions such as asthma), chemical dusts, molds, spores, and more. Particles generated at workplaces can range in size from microscopic nano-particles (< 0.1 μm) to large, visible dust (50 - 100μm). The concentration of these exposures are affected by their ability to "become airborne depending on their origin, physical characteristics and ambient conditions." [1] [2]

Factors like chemical composition, size, and concentration in the air can have drastic effects on the toxicity of occupational dust exposures. Health effects of exposed workers can range from temporary irritation, to chronic disease, to terminal disease or death. However, these responses can be limited or prevented through proper safety precautions and occupational hygiene. While there is huge variety of dust types and sizes (and their associated diseases), principles of safety and occupational hygiene can be applied to address many [1] [2]

In occupational settings, extremely small dust particles are sometimes referred to as particulates, or particulate matter when referring to certain sizes of particles in the ranges of 10 um, 2.5 um, 0.1 um, etc. Suspended dust in the air can also be referred to as an "aerosol" or "particulate aerosol", though "aerosol" is a broad term that encompasses dust along with other suspended solids/liquids such as fumes or mists. [2] [3]

Occupations

Mining

During various mining processes in which rock/minerals are broken up and collected for processing, mineral dusts are created and become airborne. Inhalation of these dusts can lead to various respiratory illnesses, depending on the dust type (e.g. coal, silica, etc.), size of the dust particulates, and exposure duration. [4]

Forestry

During the stages of wood processing, wood dust is generated. 'Wood dust' is "any wood particle arising from the processing or handling of woods." [5] Sawing, routing, sanding, among other activities, form wood dust, which can then become airborne during the process of dust removal from furniture, maintenance, or equipment cleanup. [6]

Agriculture

Dust generated from milling, handling and storage of grains or fibers can pose a threat to workers' health. During the milling process, solid agricultural grains (corn, barley, wheat, cotton etc.) may undergo crushing, grinding, or granulation. [7] [8] This process generates agricultural dust. Improperly handling grains can also expose workers to grain dusts. Grain storage can also present hazards to workers. Storage structures can create dangerous conditions due to gases emitted from spoiled grains and chemical fumes. "Workers may be exposed to unhealthy levels of airborne contaminants, including molds, chemical fumigants (toxic chemicals), and gases associated with decaying and fermenting silage." [7]

Dry Food Manufacturing

Working in a dry food manufacturing plant can lead to many adverse health affects. Those who are already predisposed to asthma or other allergic reactions are more at risk for respiratory hazards. [9] There are many adverse effects of inhaling grain dust including the dangerous "grain fever". [10] [11] Symptoms include irritated eyes and nose, wheezing, and chest tightness. A NIOSH [12] sponsored study concluded a 4 mg/m3 limit proposed for OSHA, based on an evaluation of 310 grain handlers from Wisconsin and Minnesota. Determined by a physical exam and questionnaire, Rankin et al. found that grain workers are more likely to experience respiratory symptoms than city workers. [13] Having a dust collection system in place can reduce the amount of settled dust on surfaces, reducing the risk of explosions. In addition, a central vacuum system in the facility can make it convenient for operators and production workers to regularly vacuum their surfaces. [14] If exposures are not controlled for, the proper personal protective equipment is needed when working in an environment with airborne dust particles. [15]

Construction

Crystalline silica (chemically, silicon dioxide) is a very common mineral found in the earth's outside layer. Quartz is the most common type of crystalline silica. Sand, stone, cement, and mortar contain crystalline silica. It is used to make items like glass, stoneware, earthenware, blocks, and manufactured stone. Respirable crystalline silica – microscopic particles of silica can be become airborne and inhaled when cutting, sawing, grinding, or drilling rock or concrete. Silica is used for foundry molds and cores, so exposure can occur when grinding on castings. Fracking uses silica. About 2.3 million individuals in the U.S. are exposed to silica at work. [16]

People who breathe in respirable crystalline silica are at increased risk of developing diseases such as:

Steel industry

According to the Worldsteel Association, the steel industry employs more than 6 million people worldwide. China in 2018, reported being the world's largest producer of steel with 928.3 million tons of steel produced. [17] Steel is a versatile material, the uses range from the automotive industry to the medical industry. Almost every aspect of our lives involves the use of steel in some form. Steel is mostly made of iron, less than 2% of steel is made of carbon and 1% of steel is manganese, there are also small traces of silicon, phosphorus, sulfur, and oxygen found in steel as well. [17]

With more than 6 million people working in the steel industry around the world, these employees have the potential to be exposed to particulate matter from the dust. Since the dust from steel manufacturing of the steel products are done indoors this can lead to the buildup of dust which can be inhaled by employees. An increase of dust levels have had negative health effects on employees as found in their serum protein levels, respiratory, and airway health. [18] [19] [20] [21] Welders, for example, are one of the many steel workers exposed to dust or particles from the steel industry. Since many types of steel contain manganese, steel workers have been found to be exposed to high levels of particles containing manganese. If manganese is found at high levels of exposure, can be neurotoxic to the individual(s). The buildup of these particles can accumulate in the brain and produce symptoms such as tremors, body rigidness, reduces the sense of smell and impairs motor function as well as balance. Alzheimer's disease has also been found as a result of exposure to high levels of manganese. [18] Although, a link to Alzheimer's in welders has been found. It has been found that welders exposed to dust via inhalation have had serum level changes which relate to neurologic disease. An increase in 5 neurology-related proteins were found (GCSF, EFNA4, CTSS, CLM6, VEC2) in welder's blood. Constant changes in neurology-related proteins could result in an increased risk for future disease. [18]

Long term exposure to dust particles containing metallic compounds have been found to impair pulmonary surfactant and lung function which then results in chronic respiratory diseases. [19] [20] [21] There have also been findings of eye irritation from the dust in steel manufacturing. [21] The following preemptive measures can be taken to reduced ones exposure to dust particulates; increasing the ventilation systems inside the industries, wearing personal protective gear such as eyeglasses and masks as well as, washing hands to prevent other dermal or intestinal exposures. [19]

Health, safety, and epidemiology

Exposure to occupational dusts poses many hazards to workers' health and safety. Large, airborne dust particles can obscure vision, limit mobility while on the ground, and interfere with proper machine/equipment functioning. Characteristics of dust particles such as size and chemical qualities can determine the location and effects of the dust particles on the respiratory system.

Lung diseases

Lung disease is one of the premiere issues with occupational dust exposure. Common illnesses/diseases that can develop due to exposure to workplace dust include: [22] [23]

Safety

Workplace facilities have in place safety protocol and regulations to ensure that exposure to dust/particulate matter is minimal to non-existent. To control an airborne dust, the workplace must first monitor the air for exposures. Typically, concentration of air contaminants is measured and compared to set exposure limits. In the United States, these often follow personal exposure limits (PEL) set by OSHA , or threshold limit values (TLV) set by ACGIH. The two most common ways of measuring airborne contaminants are through personal sampling or area sampling. Personal sampling involves using a device to measure the air near a person's breathing zone, usually done through air pumps that are placed directly on a worker and gather sample air near the worker's face. These are preferable to area samples, which only measure the air in a fixed location, since personal samples better approximate the actual concentration inhaled by a worker. [2] [24] [25]

Once the airborne contaminants have been identified and measured, workplaces often implement controls based on the hierarchy of controls. This may include eliminating a dust generating agent, or simply replacing a highly toxic agent with a safer one. Engineering controls such as wet methods, dust collectors, and improved HVAC systems can also be highly protective. Administrative measures such as shift rotations can also help reduce personal exposures to acceptable levels. Lastly, PPE can be an effective method of helping individual workers avoid inhaling harmful aerosols. [26] [27] Due to the varied nature of many workplace dust exposures, there is no single best way to measure and control for aerosols; often, it is required that professional judgement be employed to properly address occupational dust exposures.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Personal protective equipment</span> Equipment designed to help protect an individual from hazards

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer's body from injury or infection. The hazards addressed by protective equipment include physical, electrical, heat, chemical, biohazards, and airborne particulate matter. Protective equipment may be worn for job-related occupational safety and health purposes, as well as for sports and other recreational activities. Protective clothing is applied to traditional categories of clothing, and protective gear applies to items such as pads, guards, shields, or masks, and others. PPE suits can be similar in appearance to a cleanroom suit.

Coal dust is a fine-powdered form of coal which is created by the crushing, grinding, or pulverization of coal rock. Because of the brittle nature of coal, coal dust can be created by mining, transporting, or mechanically handling it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silicosis</span> Pneumoconiosis caused by inhalation of silica, quartz or slate particles

Silicosis is a form of occupational lung disease caused by inhalation of crystalline silica dust. It is marked by inflammation and scarring in the form of nodular lesions in the upper lobes of the lungs. It is a type of pneumoconiosis. Silicosis, particularly the acute form, is characterized by shortness of breath, cough, fever, and cyanosis. It may often be misdiagnosed as pulmonary edema, pneumonia, or tuberculosis. Using workplace controls, silicosis is almost always a preventable disease.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Occupational hygiene</span> Management of workplace health hazards

Occupational hygiene or industrial hygiene (IH) is the anticipation, recognition, evaluation, control, and confirmation (ARECC) of protection from risks associated with exposures to hazards in, or arising from, the workplace that may result in injury, illness, impairment, or affect the well-being of workers and members of the community. These hazards or stressors are typically divided into the categories biological, chemical, physical, ergonomic and psychosocial. The risk of a health effect from a given stressor is a function of the hazard multiplied by the exposure to the individual or group. For chemicals, the hazard can be understood by the dose response profile most often based on toxicological studies or models. Occupational hygienists work closely with toxicologists (see Toxicology) for understanding chemical hazards, physicists (see Physics) for physical hazards, and physicians and microbiologists for biological hazards (see Microbiology, Tropical medicine, Infection). Environmental and occupational hygienists are considered experts in exposure science and exposure risk management. Depending on an individual's type of job, a hygienist will apply their exposure science expertise for the protection of workers, consumers and/or communities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chemical hazard</span> Non-biological hazards of hazardous materials

Chemical hazards are hazards present in hazardous chemicals and hazardous materials. Exposure to certain chemicals can cause acute or long-term adverse health effects. Chemical hazards are usually classified separately from biological hazards (biohazards). Chemical hazards are classified into groups that include asphyxiants, corrosives, irritants, sensitizers, carcinogens, mutagens, teratogens, reactants, and flammables. In the workplace, exposure to chemical hazards is a type of occupational hazard. The use of personal protective equipment may substantially reduce the risk of adverse health effects from contact with hazardous materials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Respirator</span> Device worn to protect the user from inhaling contaminants

A respirator is a device designed to protect the wearer from inhaling hazardous atmospheres including lead fumes, vapors, gases and particulate matter such as dusts and airborne pathogens such as viruses. There are two main categories of respirators: the air-purifying respirator, in which respirable air is obtained by filtering a contaminated atmosphere, and the air-supplied respirator, in which an alternate supply of breathable air is delivered. Within each category, different techniques are employed to reduce or eliminate noxious airborne contaminants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sawdust</span> Byproduct or waste product of woodworking operations (sawing, sanding, milling, etc.)

Sawdust is a by-product or waste product of woodworking operations such as sawing, sanding, milling and routing. It is composed of very small chips of wood. These operations can be performed by woodworking machinery, portable power tools or by use of hand tools. In some manufacturing industries it can be a significant fire hazard and source of occupational dust exposure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black lung disease</span> Human disease caused by long-term exposure to coal dust

Black lung disease (BLD), also known as coal workers' pneumoconiosis, or simply black lung, is an occupational type of pneumoconiosis caused by long-term inhalation and deposition of coal dust in the lungs and the consequent lung tissue's reaction to its presence. It is common in coal miners and others who work with coal. It is similar to both silicosis from inhaling silica dust and asbestosis from inhaling asbestos dust. Inhaled coal dust progressively builds up in the lungs and leads to inflammation, fibrosis, and in worse cases, necrosis.

Occupational lung diseases comprise a broad group of diseases, including occupational asthma, industrial bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchiolitis obliterans, inhalation injury, interstitial lung diseases, infections, lung cancer and mesothelioma. These can be caused directly or due to immunological response to an exposure to a variety of dusts, chemicals, proteins or organisms. Occupational cases of interstitial lung disease may be misdiagnosed as COPD, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, or a myriad of other diseases; leading to a delay in identification of the causative agent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Occupational hazard</span> Hazard experienced in the workplace

An occupational hazard is a hazard experienced in the workplace. This encompasses many types of hazards, including chemical hazards, biological hazards (biohazards), psychosocial hazards, and physical hazards. In the United States, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conduct workplace investigations and research addressing workplace health and safety hazards resulting in guidelines. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) establishes enforceable standards to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses. In the EU, a similar role is taken by EU-OSHA.

Control banding is a qualitative or semi-quantitative risk assessment and management approach to promoting occupational health and safety. It is intended to minimize worker exposures to hazardous chemicals and other risk factors in the workplace and to help small businesses by providing an easy-to-understand, practical approach to controlling hazardous exposures at work.

Workplace health surveillance or occupational health surveillance (U.S.) is the ongoing systematic collection, analysis, and dissemination of exposure and health data on groups of workers. The Joint ILO/WHO Committee on Occupational Health at its 12th Session in 1995 defined an occupational health surveillance system as "a system which includes a functional capacity for data collection, analysis and dissemination linked to occupational health programmes".

Inhalation is a major route of exposure that occurs when an individual breathes in polluted air which enters the respiratory tract. Identification of the pollutant uptake by the respiratory system can determine how the resulting exposure contributes to the dose. In this way, the mechanism of pollutant uptake by the respiratory system can be used to predict potential health impacts within the human population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flock worker's lung</span> Occupational disease

Flock worker's lung is an occupational lung disease caused by exposure to flock, small fibers that are glued to a backing in order to create a specific texture. People who work in flocking are at risk of inhaling small pieces of the flock fibers, which causes interstitial lung disease. The disease was initially described in 1998, when a group of workers at a flocking plant developed interstitial lung disease of unknown cause.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NIOSH air filtration rating</span> U.S. rating of respirators

The NIOSH air filtration rating is the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)'s classification of filtering respirators. The ratings describe the ability of the device to protect the wearer from solid and liquid particulates in the air. The certification and approval process for respiratory protective devices is governed by Part 84 of Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Respiratory protective devices so classified include air-purifying respirators (APR) such as filtering facepiece respirators and chemical protective cartridges that have incorporated particulate filter elements.

Engineering controls are strategies designed to protect workers from hazardous conditions by placing a barrier between the worker and the hazard or by removing a hazardous substance through air ventilation. Engineering controls involve a physical change to the workplace itself, rather than relying on workers' behavior or requiring workers to wear protective clothing.

The health and safety hazards of nanomaterials include the potential toxicity of various types of nanomaterials, as well as fire and dust explosion hazards. Because nanotechnology is a recent development, the health and safety effects of exposures to nanomaterials, and what levels of exposure may be acceptable, are subjects of ongoing research. Of the possible hazards, inhalation exposure appears to present the most concern, with animal studies showing pulmonary effects such as inflammation, fibrosis, and carcinogenicity for some nanomaterials. Skin contact and ingestion exposure, and dust explosion hazards, are also a concern.

Occupational hazards of fire debris cleanup are the hazards to health and safety of the personnel tasked with clearing the area of debris and combustion products after a conflagration. Once extinguished, fire debris cleanup poses several safety and health risks for workers. Employers responsible for fire debris cleanup and other work in areas damaged or destroyed by fire are generally obliged by occupational safety and health legislation of the relevant national or regional authority to identify and evaluate hazards, correct any unsafe or unhealthy conditions and provide any necessary training and instruction and personal protective equipment to employees to enable them to carry out the task without undue exposure to hazards. Many of the approaches to control risk in occupational settings can be applied to preventing injuries and disease. This type of work can be completed by general construction firms who may not be fully trained specifically for fire safety and on fire hazards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Source control (respiratory disease)</span> Strategy for reducing disease transmission

Source control is a strategy for reducing disease transmission by blocking respiratory secretions produced through breathing, speaking, coughing, sneezing or singing. Multiple source control techniques can be used in hospitals, but for the general public wearing personal protective equipment during epidemics or pandemics, respirators provide the greatest source control, followed by surgical masks, with cloth face masks recommended for use by the public only when there are shortages of both respirators and surgical masks.

Workplace exposure monitoring is the monitoring of substances in a workplace that are chemical or biological hazards. It is performed in the context of workplace exposure assessment and risk assessment. Exposure monitoring analyzes hazardous substances in the air or on surfaces of a workplace, and is complementary to biomonitoring, which instead analyzes toxicants or their effects within workers.

References

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  4. ↑ "Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Occupational Exposure to Respirable Coal Mine Dust". U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. 1995. doi: 10.26616/NIOSHPUB95106 . Retrieved 2016-11-15.
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  6. ↑ Safety, Government of Canada, Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and (3 August 2017). "Wood Dust - Health Effects : OSH Answers". www.ccohs.ca. Retrieved 2018-04-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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  15. ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2009-0131-3171.pdf
  16. ↑ "Silica, Crystalline - Overview | Occupational Safety and Health Administration". www.osha.gov. Retrieved 2021-04-23.
  17. 1 2 "World Steel in Figures 2019" (PDF).
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  19. 1 2 3 Hamzah NA, Mohd Tamrin SB, Ismail NH (July 2016). "Metal dust exposure and lung function deterioration among steel workers: an exposure-response relationship". International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health. 22 (3): 224–232. doi:10.1080/10773525.2016.1207040. PMC   5102237 . PMID   27392157.
  20. 1 2 Chen PC, Doyle PE, Wang JD (January 2006). "Respirable dust exposure and respiratory health in male Taiwanese steelworkers". Industrial Health. 44 (1): 190–199. doi: 10.2486/indhealth.44.190 . PMID   16610559.
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  26. ↑ "CDC - Hierarchy of Controls - NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topic". www.cdc.gov. Retrieved 2018-04-19.
  27. ↑ "Dust Control Misting Cannons and Applications | BossTek". May 2020.
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