title: A comparison of two laboratories for the measurement of wood dust using button sampler and diffuse reflection infrared Fourier-transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS).
abstract: The current measurement method for occupational exposure to wood dust is by gravimetric analysis and is thus non-specific. In this work, diffuse reflection infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) for the analysis of only the wood component of dust was further evaluated by analysis of the same samples between two laboratories. Field samples were collected from six wood product factories using 25-mm glass fiber filters with the Button aerosol sampler. Gravimetric mass was determined in one laboratory by weighing the filters before and after aerosol collection. Diffuse reflection mid-infrared spectra were obtained from the wood dust on the filter which is placed on a motorized stage inside the spectrometer. The metric used for the DRIFTS analysis was the intensity of the carbonyl band in cellulose and hemicellulose at ~1735 cm(-1). Calibration curves were constructed separately in both laboratories using the same sets of prepared filters from the inhalable sampling fraction of red oak, southern yellow pine, and western red cedar in the range of 0.125-4 mg of wood dust. Using the same procedure in both laboratories to build the calibration curve and analyze the field samples, 62.3% of the samples measured within 25% of the average result with a mean difference between the laboratories of 18.5%. Some observations are included as to how the calibration and analysis can be improved. In particular, determining the wood type on each sample to allow matching to the most appropriate calibration increases the apparent proportion of wood dust in the sample and this likely provides more realistic DRIFTS results.
authors.affiliation: 1.Exposure Assessment Branch, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA;
authors.forename: Madalina M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Chirila
authors.affiliation: 2.Biostatistics and Epidemiology Branch, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA;
authors.forename: Khachatur
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sarkisian
authors.affiliation: 2.Biostatistics and Epidemiology Branch, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA;
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Andrew
authors.affiliation: 3.Department of Global Environmental Health Sciences, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA; 4.Center for Gulf Coast Environmental Health Research, Leadership and Strategic Initiatives, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
authors.forename: Cheol-Woong
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.affiliation: 3.Department of Global Environmental Health Sciences, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA;
authors.forename: Roy J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Rando
authors.affiliation: 1.Exposure Assessment Branch, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA; mharper@cdc.gov.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Harper
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols / Q000032:analysis; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000032:analysis; D002138:Calibration; D060389:Construction Industry; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000032:analysis; D007753:Laboratories; D009314:National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, U.S.; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis; D010316:Particle Size; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D014481:United States; D014934:Wood / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D004391:Dust
keywords: DRIFTS; button sampler; diffuse reflection; wood dust; wood infrared spectrum