Silica

Larry Joswiak, MPH

March 31, 2010
 Silica
1926.55 – Mineral Dusts
• It’s not just dust…It’s
silica
• Silica NEP (National
Emphasis Program)
January 24, 2008
• Silica LEP (Local
Emphasis Program)
October 1, 2009
Targets specific
General Industry SIC
Codes
 What is silica?
• Mineral – crystalline or amorphous forms
– Crystalline most hazardous

• Crystalline- 3 forms
– Quartz, cristobalite, tridymite

• Quartz – most common

Major component of soils and readily found in rock
Granite ~30% quartz
Shale ~ 20% quartz
Beach sand – nearly pure quartz
 Silica Exposure Activities
• Sand/abrasive • Stone cutting
blasting • Foundry work
• Tuckpointing • Tunneling
• Jack hammering • Rock drilling
concrete • Quarrying
• Brick/block cutting
• Concrete cutting &
drilling
• Demolition
 What is silicosis?
• A disabling and often fatal lung disease
caused by breathing very small
“respirable” particles of crystalline silica

• >14,000 deaths since 1968

• >200 deaths each year in the U. S.

 Silicosis
• Chronic/Classic
– Occurs after 15 – 20 years of moderate to low
exposure

• Accelerated
– Occurs after 5 – 10 years of high exposures

• Acute
– Occurs after a few months or as long as 2 years to
extremely high concentrations
 Other Health Effects of Silica
Exposure
• Lung cancer
– IARC Group 1: Carcinogenic to Humans
• Tuberculosis
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder
– Bronchitis, Emphysema
• Immunologic Disorders & Autoimmune
Disease
• Renal Disease
• Diseased and healthy lung
• Compare these sections cut from a diseased lung with large cavities (left) and a
pink, healthy lung (right). The diseased lung shows a case of miner’s phthisis (also
known as silicosis) which has led to tuberculosis. Quartz dust is inhaled by miners,
and trapped in the lungs causes silicosis making the victim more susceptible to
diseases such as tuberculosis and pneumonia.
 Current Respirable Silica
Quartz Exposure Limits
OSHA (PEL) OSHA (PEL)
Construction General Industry ACGIH (TLV)

250 mppcf 10 mg/m3 Quartz: 0.025 mg/m3

% silica + 5 % silica + 2 Cristobalite: 0.025 mg/m3
AIR SAMPLING EQUIPMENT

Personal
Air Pump
with
Cyclone
PERSONAL SAMPLING
 OSHA Construction OSHA General ACGIH
Industry Industry Construction & General
Industry
Employee % Silica Time 8 HR PELb 8 HR PELb 8 HR ACGIH
Name Sampled TWAa (mppcf)e TWAa (mg/m3)d TWAa TLVf
(minutes) (mppcf)e (mg/m3)d (mg/m3)d (mg/m3)d
Grinder 1 5.5 464 19.6 23.8 1.96 1.4 1.96 0.025
Grinder 2 4.5 474 20.2 26.3 2.02 1.54 2.02 0.025
Laborer1 3.6 463 3.5 29.1 0.35 1.79 0.35 0.025
Laborer 2 3.8 478 5.7 28.4 0.57 1.72 0.57 0.025
Air hose

a
8-hour Time Weighted Average d
mg/m3 – milligrams per cubic meter of air
b
OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit e
mppcf – million particles per cubic foot of air
c
Employee exposure for time sampled f
TLV – American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienist’ Threshold
Limit Values
 Concrete Cutting (Dry) Example
• 6 % silica
• 2.27 mg/M3 PEL
• 16.3 mg/M3 (68 min)
• 2.31 mg/M3 8 hr TWA
• 8 hour severity
102% of PEL
• EXCEEDED PEL • Gas saw dry cuts hole
in concrete manhole
• 718 % of PEL for 68
minute sample time
30% Crystalline Silica Quartz
10% Crystalline Silica Quartz
8 % Crystalline Silica Quartz

10% Crystalline Silica Quartz

 Silica Conclusions

• Dry operations: High

likelihood of silica dust
overexposure
• Wet operations: Low
potential for silica dust
overexposure
• Exposures may be
multiplied by factors such
as interior workplace and
corner location.
 Silica Conclusions
• Written Hazard Communication Program
– Employee training on silica
• Engineering Controls
– Use of water during cutting
– Local exhaust ventilation
• Respiratory Protection
– NIOSH approved
– Air Monitoring
– Required or voluntary use
• Eye Protection