Assessment of respiratory exposures during gilsonite mining and milling operations
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Morgantown, WV (USA)
An industrial hygiene study of the entire United States gilsonite industry was done by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to evaluate the potential for occupational health problems resulting from exposures to gilsonite and its constituents. Gilsonite is a solidified hydrocarbon substance mined only in northeastern Utah to Colorado. Industrial hygiene samples were collected at four gilsonite mining companies including nine mines and three mills. Gilsonite workers had no measurable exposures to polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PNA) compounds, asbestos fibers, or hydrogen sulfide gas. Several organic gases/vapors and metals were detected in the airborne samples; but, none exceeded the current exposure standards/health criteria of the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), or NIOSH. Gilsonite workers in some job categories were exposed to high levels of dust, exceeding ACGIH nuisance dust recommendations. These dusts, comprised largely of aliphatic hydrocarbons, had a large aerodynamic size distribution with average mass median aerodynamic diameters (MMAD) above 30 microns.
- OSTI ID:
- 5256825
- Journal Information:
- American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal; (USA), Vol. 50:8; ISSN 0002-8894
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
HYDROCARBONS
HEALTH HAZARDS
METALS
AIR POLLUTION
AIR POLLUTION MONITORING
DUSTS
MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE EXPOSURE
MINING
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
PARTICLE SIZE
PERSONNEL
ELEMENTS
HAZARDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
SAFETY STANDARDS
SIZE
STANDARDS
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
540120 - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)