Methods to assess airborne concentrations of cotton dust.
Assessment of concentrations of airborne cotton dust in the factory is necessary to determine adherence to applicable Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs) on a day-to-day basis, as well as for investigatory studies of an epidemiological nature. The latter are required on an ongoing basis to determine the adequacy of PELs to prevent disease in the exposed population. A strategy of sampling includes considerations of the numbers of samples to be obtained for statistical validity and the locations of samples. Current practice is to obtain more "personal samples" of exposure wherever possible, but with regard to cotton dust, instrumentation is not available for such sampling. In the U.S., the vertical elutriator is the instrument of choice for determining the concentrations of cotton dust in air. Results are expressed as milligrams of airborne particulate (cotton dust) per cubic meter.
Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Hygiene and Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD 21205.
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D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000032:analysis*; D002095:Byssinosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis*; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D003368:Gossypium; D006801:Humans; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D004391:Dust