Diesel Exhaust Aerosol: Review of Occupational Exposure

Details

• Personal Author:
  Cantrell, Bruce K. ; Watts, Winthrop F. Jr.
• Description:
  Occupational exposure to diesel exhaust aerosols in mining and other industries was reviewed. The review described current diesel emissions standards and currently used techniques for measuring diesel exhaust aerosols and discussed the results of studies evaluating industrial exposures to diesel exhausts. Diesel exhaust is a complex chemical mixture. Permissible exposure limits (PELs) were established for a few constituents such as carbon-dioxide (124389), carbon-monoxide (630080), formaldehyde (50000), nitrogen oxides, and sulfur-dioxide (7446095). There was no specific United States PEL for diesel particulate matter (DPM). Some PELs also existed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are closely associated with DPM. Diesel exhaust exposures are measured primarily using three analytical techniques. Measuring the quantity of respirable combustible dust by a gravimetric technique following combustion at 500 degrees was used to measure DPM concentrations in Canadian coal mines. Size selective sampling in combination with gravimetric analysis was used to determine DPM in aerosols having particles with aerodynamic diameters smaller than 0.8 micrometer. This technique has been widely used to determine the concentrations of respirable dusts and DPM in mine atmospheres and to evaluate the performance of emission control devices. Elemental carbon because it constitutes a significant fraction, on the order of 40 to 60%, of DPM emissions is a useful surrogate for DPM. Elemental carbon is determined by a temperature based thermal optical method. The occupational surveys have investigated diesel exhaust exposures in mine workers, forklift operators, firefighters, and truck drivers. The level of DPM exposures measured in the surveys varied from 0.004 to 1.74mg/m3. The highest exposures were found in confined spaces such as in mines where heavy diesel equipment was used and fresh air was supplied by forced ventilation. Across all workplaces, the occupational exposures to DPM were generally much higher that outdoor ambient exposures. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Chemistry Dust Mining Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Particulate Matter Safety Vehicle Emissions
• Keywords:
  Analytical-methods Chemical-composition Diesel-exhausts Dust-sampling Industrial-hygiene Mining-industry Occupational-exposure Particulates Underground-mining
• Series:
  Mining Publications
• ISSN:
  1047-322X
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Minnesota ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  TCRC - Twin Cities Research Center
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  12
• Issue:
  12
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00240907
• Citation:
  Appl Occup Environ Hyg 1997 Dec; 12(12):1019-1027
• CAS Registry Number:
  Carbon dioxide (CAS RN 124-38-9) ; Carbon monoxide (CAS RN 630-08-0) ; Formaldehyde (CAS RN 50-00-0) ; Formamide (CAS RN 75-12-7) ; Nitrogen dioxide (CAS RN 10102-44-0) ; Sulfur dioxide (CAS RN 7446-09-5)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1998
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Applied Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:cb83e60c62232fb5b008dd537f3269a4d64b1980ab1227d2548b94105b731f83ca0f2f7b181771a300d41178a9897efb1f62da492cc0edf00d27afe5353a1fa3
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/219332/cdc_219332_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.49 MB ]