Reduction of Respirable Silica Following the Introduction of Water Spray Applications in Indian Stone Crusher Mills

Details

• Personal Author:
  Balakrishnan K ; Gottesfeld P ; Kephart JW ; Nicas M ; Rinehart, Richard D.
• Description:
  Respirable crystalline silica dust generated during stone crushing operations has been linked to chronic lung disease and increased risk of tuberculosis. In India, most stone crushing mills operate without any dust control or containment systems. This investigation in the Khurda District of Orissa demonstrated a reduction in respirable particulate mass following the application of a fine mist of water. Average respirable quartz and cristobalite levels declined 82% and 69%, respectively, after water spray controls were installed. This finding suggests that relatively inexpensive modifications that are available in the local market can be effective at reducing silica exposures. Although average exposure levels, particularly during the dry season, may exceed the Permissible Exposure Limit for silica, the overall reductions observed were substantial. Widespread adoption of this simple control technology by stone crushers in India could have a positive public health impact. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Dust Engineering Occupational Health Quartz Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety Silicon Dioxide
• Keywords:
  Control-methods Control-technology Dust-control Dust-exposure Dust-inhalation Engineering-controls Pulmonary-system-disorders Quartz-dust Respiratory-system-disorders Silica-dusts Stone-grinders Stone-processing

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• ISSN:
  1077-3525
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  District of Columbia ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  EID - Education and Information Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  94-103
• Volume:
  14
• Issue:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20034004
• Citation:
  Int J Occup Environ Health 2008 Apr-Jun; 14(2):94-103
• Contact Point Address:
  P. Gottesfeld, Occupational Knowledge International, San Francisco, CA 94104, USA
• Email:
  pgottesfeld@okinternational.org
• CAS Registry Number:
  Quartz (SiO2) (CAS RN 14808-60-7)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2008
• NORA Priority Area:
  Manufacturing ; Mining
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:e146c9ea22f8459e69ce806ad1a08ab9ee619fba286bad040902984922893266115e3d9280cfe88e6bad12c81ffdf24714abb8ae8d09849a48c595f2448f9ea4
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/189394/cdc_189394_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.82 MB ]