Estimation of the diesel exhaust exposures of railroad workers. I. Current exposures

Journal Article · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988 · Am. J. Ind. Med.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.4700130307· OSTI ID:7040968

Woskie, S R; Smith, T J; Hammond, S K; Schenker, M B; Garshick, E; Speizer, F E

As a part of a series of epidemiological studies of railroad workers, measurements were made to characterize workers' exposures to diesel exhaust. Since diesel exhaust is not a single compound, an exposure marker was sought. The personal exposures to respirable particulate matter (RPM) of over 530 workers in 39 common jobs were measured in four U.S. railroads over a three-year period. Significant amounts of cigarette smoke (20-90%) were found in many of these samples. Therefore, the respirable particulate concentration, adjusted to remove the fraction of cigarette smoke (ARP), was chosen as a marker of diesel exhaust exposures. The geometric mean exposures to ARP ranged from 17 micrograms/m3 for clerks to 134 micrograms/m3 for locomotive shop workers. Significant interrailroad variations were observed in some job groups indicating that the different facilities, equipment, and work practices found among the railroads can affect a worker's exposure to diesel exhaust. Climate was also found to have a significant effect on exposure in some job groups.

• Research Organization: Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7040968
• Journal Information: Am. J. Ind. Med.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. J. Ind. Med.; (United States) Vol. 13:3; ISSN AJIMD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020600* -- Petroleum-- Health & Safety
560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AEROSOLS
AIR POLLUTION
COLLOIDS
DIESEL ENGINES
DISPERSIONS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENGINES
EPIDEMIOLOGY
EXHAUST GASES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GASEOUS WASTES
GASES
HEAT ENGINES
INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
PARTICLES
PARTICULATES
PERSONNEL
PETROLEUM
POLLUTION
RESIDUES
SMOKES
SOLS
TOBACCO SMOKES
TOXICITY
WASTES
WEATHER