The use of electrosurgery resulted in short-term high peak exposures to mainly UFPs in surgical smoke. Type of surgery was the strongest predictor of exposure and the different types of surgical procedures produced different sized particles. The job groups had similar exposure. Compared to other occupational exposures to UFPs involving hot processes, the personal exposure levels for UFPs were low during the use of electrosurgery.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess personal exposure to fibres, crystalline silica, silicon carbide (SiC) and sulphur dioxide in the Norwegian SiC industry.Methods: Approximately 720 fibre samples, 720 respirable dust samples and 1400 total dust samples were collected from randomly chosen workers from the furnace, processing and maintenance departments in all three Norwegian SiC plants. The respirable dust samples were analysed for quartz, cristobalite and non-fibrous SiC content. Approximately 240 sulphur dioxide samples were collected from workers in the furnace department.Results: The sorting operators from all plants, control room and cleaning operators in Plant A and charger, charger/mix and payloader operators in Plant C had a geometric mean (GM) of fibre exposure above the Norwegian occupational exposure limit (OEL) (0.1 fibre cm 23 ). The cleaner operators in Plant A had the highest GM exposure to respirable quartz (20 mg m 23). The charger/mix operators in Plant C had the highest GM exposure to respirable cristobalite (38 mg m 23 ) and the refinery crusher operators in Plant A had the highest GM exposure to nonfibrous SiC (0.65 mg m 23 ). Exposure to the crystalline silica and non-fibrous SiC was generally low and between 0.4 and 2.1% of the measurements exceeded the OELs. The cleaner operators in Plant A had the highest GM exposure to respirable dust (1.3 mg m 23) and total dust (21 mg m 23 ). GM exposures for respirable dust above the Norwegian SiC industry-specific OEL of 0.5 mg m 23 were also found for refinery crusher operators in all plants and mix, charger, charger/ mix and sorting operators in Plant C. Only 4% of the total dust measurements exceeded the OEL for nuisance dust of (10 mg m 23 ). Exposure to sulphur dioxide was generally low. However, peaks in the range of 10-100 p.p.m. were observed for control room and crane operators in Plants A and B and for charger and charger/mix operators in Plant C.Conclusion: Workers in the SiC industry are exposed to a mixture of several agents including SiC fibres, quartz, cristobalite, non-fibrous SiC and sulphur dioxide. Exposure levels were generally below the current Norwegian OELs; however, high exposure to fibres and respirable dust still occurs in the furnace department.

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PVC welding in a vertical position resulted in very high exposure of the worker to ultrafine particles compared to other types of work tasks. In evaluations of worker exposure to ultrafine particles, it seems important to distinguish between personal samples taken in the breathing zone of the worker and more stationary work area measurements. There is a need for a portable particle-sizing instrument for measurements of ultrafine particles in working environments.