Silica Dust Exposures During Selected Construction Activities

Flanagan, Mary Ellen; Seixas, Noah S.; Majar, Maria; Camp, Janice; Morgan, Michael

doi:10.1202/1542-8125(2003)64<319:sdedsc>2.0.co;2

Cited by 24 publications

(35 citation statements)

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“…Environment was identified as important in multiple regression modeling of these data. Flanagan et al (7) and Akbar-Khanzadeh and Brillhart (17) were able to document the importance of these factors for some construction activities. More work is needed to describe the factors that produce variability, with a focus on identifying situations that result in the highest exposures so they can be targeted for control.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Controls are needed, whether it be provided by respiratory protection or engineering controls. In a recent study with some use of dust masks and half face cartridge respirators on commercial construction sites, (7) the respirator choice was frequently inadequate for the exposure encountered. If engineering controls were already appropriately employed, the high exposures found in this data set would not be occurring.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

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Silica Exposure on Construction Sites: Results of an Exposure Monitoring Data Compilation Project

Flanagan

Seixas

Becker

et al. 2006

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene

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To expand on the limited size and scope of construction silica exposure studies, a silica monitoring data compilation project was initiated through the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists Construction Committee. Personal silica exposure monitoring data was collected and analyzed from 13 private, research, and regulatory groups. An effort was made to collect as much detail as possible about task, tool, and environmental and control conditions so as much information as possible could be garnered. There were considerable data gaps, particularly with regulatory agency data, that represented over half of the data set. There were 1374 personal quartz samples reported with a geometric mean of 0.13 mg/m(3) and a GSD of 5.9. Descriptive statistics are reported by trade, task, tool, and data source type. Highest exposures were for abrasive blasters, surface and tuckpoint grinders, jackhammers, and rock drills. The sample period was important, with short-term samples (up to 2 hours) having considerably higher levels than midterm (2-6 hours) or longer (over 6 hours) samples. For nearly all exposure variables, a large portion of variable categories were at or over the quartz occupational exposure limit of 0.05 mg/m(3), including 8 of 8 trade, 13 of 16 task, and 12 of 16 tool categories. The respiratory protection commonly used on construction sites is often inadequate for the exposures encountered. The data variability within task and tool was very large, with some very high exposures reported for a broad spectrum of tools. Further understanding of the conditions leading to high exposures will require more detailed documentation of the sample characteristics following database design recommendations or systematic surveys of exposure in this complex industry.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Silica Exposure on Construction Sites: Results of an Exposure Monitoring Data Compilation Project

Flanagan

Seixas

Becker

et al. 2006

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene

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“…Most of the occupational factors were not associated with an increased likelihood of heavy smoking. Construction workers have potentially high exposures to various toxic chemicals, such as silica (Flanagan, Seixas, Majar, Camp, & Morgan, 2003;Lynge, Kurppa, Kristofersen, Malker, & Sauli, 1986;Rappaport et al, 2003). In our previous work, we found that higher exposure to chemicals and dust significantly associated with increased odds of current smoking (Chin et al, 2012).…”

Section: Shanksmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heavy and Light/Moderate Smoking Among Building Trades Construction Workers

Chin

Hong

Gillen

et al. 2013

Public Health Nursing

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“…Flanagan et al observed that for relevant jobs the geometric mean quartz concentration was 0.10 mg/m 3 , but 71% of the samples exceeded the PEL. 27 In Holland, silica exposures up to 200-fold above the Dutch PEL (0.075 mg/m 3 ) were frequent in the construction industry. 28 In the United Kingdom, construction workers had the second highest rate of pneumoconiosis (8.1 per 100,000 population), following miners and quarrymen (25.7) but ahead of foundry workers (7.6).…”

Section: Traditional Mineral Particles and Fibers Silicamentioning

confidence: 99%

Mineral-Induced Lung Disease in Modern Industry

Davis¹

2006

Clinical Pulmonary Medicine

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Lung diseases caused by the inhalation of mineral particles, fibers, and fumes present a changing problem for modern industry. Dust controls, industrial hygiene, and government regulations in the industrialized nations have decreased exposures to the materials, such as silica, asbestos, coal, or talc that cause the traditional pneumoconioses. Deaths in the United States attributed to silicosis have decreased from 448 per year in 1980 to 151 per year in 2000, and those attributed to coal from 2576 to 949. The effects of asbestos exposure during the midyears of the 20th century are now being felt. Deaths due to asbestosis have increased from 339 in 1980 to 1486 in 2000, and those due to mesothelioma from 699 to 2531. The traditional pneumoconioses follow an exposure-response relationship, with the prevalence and severity linked to the intensity and duration of exposure. Increased risks for lung cancer have been associated with exposure to these minerals. The pneumoconioses represent an increasing problem in developing countries where the extraction and processing of raw materials are growing but industrial hygiene measures are not in place.

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Silica Dust Exposures During Selected Construction Activities

Cited by 24 publications

References 0 publications

Silica Exposure on Construction Sites: Results of an Exposure Monitoring Data Compilation Project

Silica Exposure on Construction Sites: Results of an Exposure Monitoring Data Compilation Project

Heavy and Light/Moderate Smoking Among Building Trades Construction Workers

Mineral-Induced Lung Disease in Modern Industry

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