title: [Determination and analysis of silica particles surface alumino-silicate occlusion].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the methods of determining aluminum silicate coated on the surface of silica particles and analyze the role of surface occlusion on development of silicosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Respirable dust samples were collected on filters using 2 L/min flow in tungsten mines and pottery factories of Jiangxi province, and tin mines of Guanxi province. Dust particles were analyzed by a multiple-voltage scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (MVSEM-EDS) using 20 KeV and 5 KeV electron beam accelerating voltages. Changes in the silicon to aluminum X-ray line intensity ratio between the two voltages are compared particle by particle. This provided an index that distinguishes a silica particle that was homogeneously aluminum-contaminated from a clay coated silica particle.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The total of 3,982 dust particles from 47 dust samples of seven pottery factories, three tin mines and three tungsten mines were analyzed in this study. Significant difference of aluminum silicate coated on the surface of silica particle was shown between particles from pottery factories and tin mines. The average sample percentage of respirbale-sized silica particles alumino-silicate occlusion in the pottery factories (45%) was higher than that in the tin mines (18%) and tungsten mines (13%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Higher percentages silica particles alumino-silicate occlusion is observed in the pottery factories than that in metal mines. These surface analysis results help to understand differences in risk of silicosis when exposure is normalized to cumulative respirable surface silica dust.
authors.affiliation: US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA.
authors.forename: William E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.forename: Jing-qiong
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hai-jiao
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wei-hong
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000535:Aluminum / Q000032:analysis*; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008906:Mining; D012825:Silicon / Q000032:analysis*; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission
chemical_list: D004391:Dust; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D000535:Aluminum; D012825:Silicon