Respirable Dust and Crystalline Silica Concentrations Among Workers at a Brick Kiln in Bhaktapur, Nepal

Details

• Personal Author:
  Arroyo JA ; Beard JD ; Cisneros T ; Collingwood SC ; Farnsworth CB ; Fong G ; Johnston JD ; LeCheminant JD ; Peterson NE ; Reynolds PR ; Sangel S ; South AJ ; Taylor M
• Description:
  Exposure to respirable dust and crystalline silica (SiO2) has been linked to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, silicosis, cancer, heart disease, and other respiratory diseases. Relatively few studies have measured respirable dust and SiO2 concentrations among workers at brick kilns in low- and middle-income countries. The purpose of this study was to measure personal breathing zone (PBZ) respirable dust and SiO2 concentrations among workers at one brick kiln in Bhaktapur, Nepal. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 49 workers in five job categories: administration, fire master, green (unfired) brick hand molder, green brick machine molder, and top loader. PBZ air samples were collected from each worker following Methods 0600 (respirable dust) and 7500 (respirable crystalline SiO2: cristobalite, quartz, tridymite) of the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Eight-hour time-weighted average (TWA) respirable dust and quartz concentrations were also calculated. SiO2 percentage was measured in one bulk sample each of wet clay, the release agent used by green brick hand molders, and top coat soil at the brick kiln. The geometric mean (GM) sample and TWA respirable dust concentrations were 0.20 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.16, 0.27) and 0.12 (95% CI: 0.09, 0.16) mg/m3, respectively. GM sample and TWA quartz concentrations were 15.28 (95% CI: 11.11, 21.02) and 8.60 (95% CI: 5.99, 12.34) µg/m3, respectively. Job category was significantly associated with GM sample and TWA respirable dust and quartz concentrations (all p < 0.0001). Top loaders had the highest GM sample and TWA respirable dust concentrations of 1.49 and 0.99 mg/m3, respectively. Top loaders also had the highest GM sample and TWA quartz concentrations of 173.08 and 114.39 µg/m3, respectively. Quartz percentages in bulk samples were 16%-27%. Interventions including using wet methods to reduce dust generation, administrative controls, personal protective equipment, and education and training should be implemented to reduce brick kiln worker exposures to respirable dust and SiO2. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Air Pollution Dust Occupational Health Quartz Safety Silicon Dioxide
• Keywords:
  Air Quality Author Keywords: Air Quality Brick Kilns Brick Worker Cross Sectional Studies Crystalline Silica Exposure Assessment International Occupational Health Quartz Dust Respirable Dust
• ISSN:
  1545-9624
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 8 ; Utah
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  247-258
• Volume:
  21
• Issue:
  4
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20069355
• Citation:
  J Occup Environ Hyg 2024 Apr; 21(4):247-258
• Contact Point Address:
  John D. Beard, Department of Public Health, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT
• Email:
  john_beard@byu.edu
• CAS Registry Number:
  Quartz (SiO2) (CAS RN 14808-60-7)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2024
• Performing Organization:
  University of Utah
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• End Date:
  20280630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:f5a89e9a477c64e8532d3d8febb02d246b6fc8caf052c1f1181a9c78cf2a780df2c89e5bd68cbe408a6036fb028e3144097213e640ef6542460ff2f614f1b928
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/207852/cdc_207852_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.97 MB ]