Occupational exposures to fibers and quartz at 19 crushed stone mining and milling operations

Details

• Personal Author:
  Costello J ; Greife AL ; Hearl, Frank J. ; Kullman, Greg J.
• Description:
  Occupational exposures to fibers and quartz at crushed stone mining and milling operations were examined via cross sectional exposure assessment. Exposures to respirable dust, total dust, crystalline silica (14808607), asbestos (1332214), and mineral fibers were measured at 19 crushed stone operations in the United States. A stratified sample of operations was randomly selected by rock type (granite, limestone, traprock, or sandstone). Mineral fibers were detected at several facilities; fibers included serpentine (12001295), tremolite (77536686), hornblende (12178426), olivine, and magnesite (546930). Asbestos fibers were found only at one traprock facility. All sample measurements were below the Mine Safety and Health Administration permissible exposure limits for fibers; two of ten samples, however, exceeded NIOSH recommended exposure limits. A variety of silicate mineral fibers were detected in traprock operations and at one granite operation. Crystalline silica was detected at 17 of the studied facilities; significant overexposures were measured at the majority of these crushed stone operations. Job exposure zones with the most frequent and highest overexposures to crystalline silica included mill operators, mill laborers, and truck drivers. The authors conclude that many crushed stone quarries and mills present a significant silicosis hazard as well as a potential lung cancer risk. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Asbestos Dust Inorganic Chemicals Mining Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety Silicon Dioxide
• Keywords:
  Asbestos Asbestos-fibers Author Keywords: Crystalline Silica Crushed Stone Mining Dust-exposure Exposure-levels Fibers Industrial-hygiene Industrial-medicine Milling-industry Mineral-dusts Mining-industry NIOSH-Author Occupational-exposure Occupational-respiratory-disease Occupational Exposure Quartz Respirable-dust Silica-dusts Stone-processing

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• ISSN:
  0271-3586
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DRDS - Division of Respiratory Disease Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  27
• Issue:
  5
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00227440
• Citation:
  Am J Ind Med 1995 May; 27(5):641-660
• Contact Point Address:
  Gregory J. Kullman, Environmental Investigations Branch, Division of Respiratory Disease Studies, NIOSH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1095 Willowdale Rd., Morgantown, WV 26505-2845
• CAS Registry Number:
  Asbestos (CAS RN 1332-21-4) ; Chrysotile (CAS RN 12001-29-5) ; Hornblende (CAS RN 12178-42-6) ; Magnesium carbonate (CAS RN 546-93-0) ; Quartz (SiO2) (CAS RN 14808-60-7) ; Tremolite asbestos (CAS RN 77536-68-6)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1995
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  American Journal of Industrial Medicine
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:b494d5ffa13edb79b06cc1290dae341140a9c5ed6ffc97838351169c13c448e3f8b5c5c44ad35165a7e79807c55be40017d2c13c362824c0371716a2d695d46d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/205246/cdc_205246_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.28 MB ]