234 Measured exposure to soot among Swedish chimney sweeps with focus on sweeping techniques and fuels used

Introduction Earlier studies have shown that chimney sweeps have an increased risk for many severe health outcomes. These excessive risks have been related to their exposure to soot with the conclusion that the exposure must be reduced. To contribute to effective measures to reduce chimney sweepers soot exposure, our knowledge about the exposure needs to be extended, which is the overall aim of our project. In this study the difference in airborne exposure to soot has been evaluated between different sweeping techniques and fuels used. Methodology A self-monitoring method was used for collection of exposure data. Exposure to airborne soot was measured as black carbon (BC) with micro-aethalometers (microAeth® model MA200 and AE51, AethLabs USA), recording the BC-levels each minute. Personal repeated measurements were performed for eight consecutive workdays for 20 chimney sweeps (13 men and seven women). Each participant filled out a diary with work tasks performed. The measurements with micro-aethalometer were correlated with the diary notes to evaluate exposure levels for different tasks. The sweeping techniques compared were traditional sweeping and sweeping with rotating rods. The fuels studied were oil, wood and pellets. Results Among the preliminary results a large variation of soot exposure was found between different individuals. Different sweeping techniques and fuel used influenced the exposure, with a lower exposure for rotating rod technique and a higher exposure for pellets. Conclusions With the large variability in soot exposure found between participants, we are positive that it is possible to reduce the exposure among chimney sweeps.