NIOSH Hazard Review: Health Effects of Occupational Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica

Details

• Journal Article:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Personal Author:
  Rice, Faye L. ; Key-Schwartz, Rosa J. ; Bartley, David L. ; Baron, Paul A. ; Schlecht, Paul C. ; Gressel, Michael G. ; Echt, Alan S.
• Description:
  Occupational exposures to respirable crystalline silica are associated with the development of silicosis, lung cancer, pulmonary tuberculosis, and airways diseases. These exposures may also be related to the development of autoimmune disorders, chronic renal disease, and other adverse health effects. Recent epidemiologic studies demonstrate that workers have a significant risk of developing chronic silicosis when they are exposed to respirable crystalline silica over a working lifetime at the current Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) permissible exposure limit (PEL), the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) PEL, or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommended exposure limit (REL). This NIOSH Hazard Review examines the health risks and diseases associated with occupational exposures to respirable crystalline silica, discusses important findings of recent epidemiologic studies, provides the reader with sources of more comprehensive information about health effects and experimental studies describes current sampling and analytical methods and their limitations for assessing occupational exposures to respirable crystalline silica, and suggests many areas for further research. Current sampling and analytical methods used to evaluate occupational exposure to respirable crystalline silica do not meet the accuracy criterion needed to quantify exposures at concentrations below the NIOSH REL of 0.05 mg/m3 as a time-weighted average (TWA) for up to a 10-hr workday during a 40-hr workweek. Until improved sampling and analytical methods are developed for respirable crystalline silica, NIOSH will continue to recommend an exposure limit of 0.05 mg/m3 to reduce the risk of developing silicosis, lung cancer, and other adverse health effects. NIOSH also recommends minimizing the risk of illness that remains for workers exposed at the REL by substituting less hazardous materials for crystalline silica when feasible, by using appropriate respiratory protection when source controls cannot keep exposures below the NIOSH REL, and by making medical examinations available to exposed workers. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Content Notes:
  "Faye L. Rice was the principal author. The analytical methods section was prepared by Rosa Key-Schwartz, Ph.D.
  
  David Bartley, Ph.D
  
  Paul Baron, Ph.D
  
  and Paul Schlecht. Michael Gressel and Alan Echt contributed material on control technology." p. xvii
  
  Includes bibliographical references (p. 104-126).
  
  
• Subjects:
  Construction Industry Dust Epidemiology Lung Mining Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Risk Assessment Safety Silicon Dioxide

  More +
• Keywords:
  Occupational-exposure; Occupational-hazards; Occupational-health; Pulmonary-system-disorders; Pulmonary-system; Silica-dusts; Silicosis; Respirable-dust; Respiratory-system-disorders; Mining-industry; Epidemiology; Exposure-limits; Risk-analysis; Analytical-methods; Construction-Search
• Source:
  Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2002-129, 2002 Apr; :1-127
• Series:
  NIOSH Numbered Publications
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHPUB2002129
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Report
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  EID - Education and Information Division ; DART - Division of Applied Research and Technology
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  145 pdf pages
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20021982
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB2002-107483
• CAS Registry Number:
  Cristobalite (CAS RN 14464-46-1) ; Quartz (SiO2) (CAS RN 14808-60-7) ; Tridymite (SiO2) (CAS RN 15468-32-3)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2002
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  174 - Masonry, Stonework, and Plastering - (SIC) ; 734 - Services to Buildings - (SIC) ; 327 - Concrete, Gypsum, and Plaster Products - (SIC) ; 176 - Roofing, Siding, and Sheet Metal Work - (SIC) ; 356 - General Industrial Machinery - (SIC) ; 807 - Medical and Dental Laboratories - (SIC) ; 493 - Combination Utility Services - (SIC) ; 179 - Miscellaneous Special Trade Contractors - (SIC) ; 753 - Automotive Repair Shops - (SIC) ; 326 - Pottery and Related Products - (SIC) ; 162 - Heavy Construction, except Highway - (SIC) ; 172 - Painting and Paper Hanging - (SIC) ; 332 - Iron and Steel Foundries - (SIC) ; 347 - Metal Services, not elsewhere classified - (SIC) ; 13 - Oil and Gas Extraction - (SIC)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:6aafe28b41211bce28ca829eeb13824c337eae32b0f616de54f66d9fbcb8df9079f62092e6d35a07e243e800875d4da7fd7190e8bbbc893446093e4a0c770781
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/6887/cdc_6887_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.03 MB ]