Methods used by the United States National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to monitor crystalline silica

Details

• Personal Author:
  Abell, Martin T. ; Lorberau, Charles D.
• Description:
  Methods used by NIOSH to monitor exposures to crystalline silica (14808607) dusts were discussed. Analytical methods used by NIOSH to determine silica concentrations in workplace air were summarized. There were four currently used NIOSH methods for determining silica in dust samples. They were based on three instrumental techniques: colorimetry, denoted method 7601; X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), denoted method 7500; and infrared spectroscopy (IR), two methods denoted 7602 and 7603. The sample collection for the four methods was similar. Breathing zone samples were collected by a 10 millimeter Dorr-Oliver nylon cyclone (DO cyclone) and a polyvinyl- chloride (PVC) filter. The cyclone removed the nonrespirable particles from the sample allowing only the respirable particles to be collected on the filters. The samples then were subjected to ashing or chemical dissolution to remove the PVC filter from the collected dust before analysis. The limit of detection was approximately 5 micrograms (microg) per sample for each of the four methods; however, accuracy was poor, especially at low filter loadings, 30microg/sample or lower. Filter loadings of this magnitude frequently occurred when concentrations in the workplace air approached the NIOSH recommended standard, 50microg per cubic meter. Improvements in the analytical procedures over the past few years were discussed. Laboratory proficiency has been improved following implementation of the Proficiency Analytical Testing Program, a program administered by the American Industrial Hygiene Association. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Dust Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Quartz Radiography Safety Silicon Dioxide
• Keywords:
  Analytical-methods Author Keywords: Dust Analysis Dust-analysis Exposure Limit Industrial-hygiene Infrared-spectroscopy Infrared Spectroscopy NIOSH-Author Occupational-exposure Quartz-dust Respirable-dust Size Selective Sampling X-ray-analysis X-ray Diffraction

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• ISSN:
  0355-3140
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DPSE - Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  35-38
• Volume:
  21
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00230569
• Citation:
  Scand J Work Environ Health 1995 Sep; 21(Suppl 2):35-38
• Contact Point Address:
  Mr CD Lorberau, Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45226, USA
• CAS Registry Number:
  Quartz (SiO2) (CAS RN 14808-60-7)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1995
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health
• Supplement:
  2
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:50143645ac179a0560972df361f472bb86d9d260090cd67abf758a5a5c78717b16f67e2025241a5a5902ddaf02d500040cbfd7e787a8610ad7eef035f1475917
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/205108/cdc_205108_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 363.76 KB ]