Abstract
Cotton dust control technology was assessed by conducting preliminary and detailed surveys of cotton ginning, cotton seed processing, yarn manufacturing, knitting, fabric weaving and waste processing operations that use raw cotton. The facilities surveyed used control technology involving local and general exhaust ventilation air filtration equipment, work practices, process enclosure or isolation, personal protective equipment and liquid oversprays. Cotton dust sampling equipment was tested for comparison purposes, and installation and maintenance costs of dust control machinery and equipment were evaluated. The author concludes that engineering techniques have not been applied effectively in many of the raw cotton and cottonseed processing areas. He recommends that a methodology for a systems approach to control techniques be developed within the cotton industry; that control techniques for facility scale levels be designed; that the existing cotton grading system be expanded to include the potential for dust emission during processing; that better air cleaning equipment for each segment be developed; and that techniques for growing, harvesting and ginning that will produce cleaner cottons be developed.
Source Name
Envirocontrol Inc., Rockville, Md., NIOSH, Cincinnati, Ohio
