title: Silica Measurement with High Flow Rate Respirable Size Selective Samplers: A Field Study.
abstract: High and low flow rate respirable size selective samplers including the CIP10-R (10 l min(-1)), FSP10 (11.2 l min(-1)), GK2.69 (4.4 l min(-1)), 10-mm nylon (1.7 l min(-1)), and Higgins-Dewell type (2.2 l min(-1)) were compared via side-by-side sampling in workplaces for respirable crystalline silica measurement. Sampling was conducted at eight different occupational sites in the USA and five different stonemasonry sites in Ireland. A total of 536 (268 pairs) personal samples and 55 area samples were collected. Gravimetric analysis was used to determine respirable dust mass and X-ray diffraction analysis was used to determine quartz mass. Ratios of respirable dust mass concentration, quartz mass concentration, respirable dust mass, and quartz mass from high and low flow rate samplers were compared. In general, samplers did not show significant differences greater than 30% in respirable dust mass concentration and quartz mass concentration when outliers (ratio <0.3 or >3.0) were removed from the analysis. The frequency of samples above the limit of detection and limit of quantification of quartz was significantly higher for the CIP10-R and FSP10 samplers compared to low flow rate samplers, while the GK2.69 cyclone did not show significant difference from low flow rate samplers. High flow rate samplers collected significantly more respirable dust and quartz than low flow rate samplers as expected indicating that utilizing high flow rate samplers might improve precision in quartz measurement. Although the samplers did not show significant differences in respirable dust and quartz concentrations, other practical attributes might make them more or less suitable for personal sampling.
authors.affiliation: 1.Exposure Assessment Branch, Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA; fwc8@cdc.gov.
authors.forename: Taekhee
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: 1.Exposure Assessment Branch, Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA;
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Harper
authors.affiliation: 2.Biostatistics and Epidemiology Branch, Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA;
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kashon
authors.affiliation: 1.Exposure Assessment Branch, Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA;
authors.forename: Larry A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: 3.School of Physics, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland;
authors.forename: Catherine B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Healy
authors.affiliation: 3.School of Physics, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland;
authors.forename: Marie A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Coggins
authors.affiliation: 4.Exposure Assessment Program, CPWR - The Center for Construction Research and Training, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA;
authors.forename: Pam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Susi
authors.affiliation: 5.Unimin Corporation, Winchester, VA 22601, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: O'Brien
mesh_terms: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000032:analysis; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005374:Filtration; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D007494:Ireland; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D010316:Particle Size; D011791:Quartz / Q000032:analysis*; D014481:United States; D017132:Workplace
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D004391:Dust; D011791:Quartz
keywords: CIP10-R; FSP10; GK2.69; high flow rate samplers; quartz; silica