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Real-time exposure monitoring of cellulose insulation installers.

Hall R

American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition, May 20-25, 2000, Orlando, Florida. Fairfax, VA: American Industrial Hygiene Association, 2000 May; :69

20041548

NIOSH is conducting an exposure assessment of cellulose insulation (CI) applicators. Airborne particulate concentration data were collected with filter cassettes (NIOSH Method 0500) and a real-time hand-held aerosol monitor (HAM). The HAM, coupled with a video recording instrument to collect data for video exposure monitoring (VEM), was used to evaluate personal breathing zone-relative air contaminant concentrations during attic insulation and truck support activities (dumping bags of cellulose insulation into a hopper). VEM data were analyzed to identify sources of worker exposure and to address issues such as how worker exposure may vary among different components of the job. Particle size data were collected with a Grimm Dustcheck(TM) Model 1105 real-time light-scattering aerosol spectrometer. Particle size data indicate that the majority of the particulate mass is in the large particle size range (>15 microm in diameter). Less than 2% of the particulate mass is in the respirable size range during truck and attic activities. The aerodynamic mass median diameter (AMMD) for the cellulose particulate data collected in the truck and attic was 57.4 microm and 28.7 microm in diameter, with geometric standard deviations of 2.8 and 2.4, respectively. The sample collected in the truck revealed a total dust concentration of 7.1 mg/m3, and the HAM measured relative particulate concentration peaks greater than 60 mg/m3, with the highest relative concentrations occurring during work activities that involved dumping bags of cellulose material in a hopper. The sample collected in the attic indicated a total dust concentration of 28.5 mg/m3, with relative particulate concentration peaks (measured by the HAM) greater than 120 mg/m3. The highest relative particulate concentrations were observed when the worker was blowing cellulose material into the small spaces of the attic (the edge) and in close proximity to his body. These results indicate a potential for workers to be exposed to particulate concentrations exceeding applicable exposure criteria.

Exposure-assessment; Cellulose-fibers; Insulation-materials; Insulation-workers; Aerosol-sampling; Aerosol-particles; Airborne-particles; Analytical-Method; Air-contamination; Air-quality-monitoring; Employee-exposure; Breathing-zone; Mass-spectrometry; Particulate-sampling-methods; Particle-aerodynamics; Particulate-dust; Manual-materials-handling; Materials-handling; Monitors; Exposure-levels; Exposure-limits; Dust-measurement; Dust-exposure

20000520

Abstract

2000

DSHEFS

American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition, May 20-25, 2000, Orlando, Florida

OH; FL; VA