123 Respirable crystalline silica exposure in the building materials production: monitoring data over the last 20 years

Introduction Respirable crystalline silica (RCS) is a risk agent with known effects well correlated with exposure levels in the building sector. The aim of this work was to evaluate the trend in the last 20 years of RCS exposure levels in two companies operating in glass plate production and in cement production. Methodology The personal exposure data of 54 workers from a company producing glass plate and 76 workers from a company producing cement were analysed. The quantification of the SCR exposure levels was carried out by the respirable dust monitoring and the subsequent X-ray diffractometric analysis. The exposure levels were compared with the ACGIH, SCOEL and Italian occupational limit values. Results RCS exposure levels were in the range <0.004-0.074 mg/m3. Only two personal exposure levels (0.054 mg/m3 and 0.074 mg/m3), found at the glass plate production company were higher than ACGIH TLV-TWA and the SCOEL exposure limit. A reduction of personal RCS exposure was observed across the years in the glass plate production company, instead in the cement production company the personal RCS levels were almost constant. The tasks characterized by the highest levels of exposure to RCS were the oven maintenance workers in the glass plate production company and the grindings raw materials workers in the cement production company (mean 0.015 mg/m3 and 0.009 mg/m3 respectively). Conclusions This study revealed how exposure levels in the companies studied remained constant or decreased over time. In light of the most recent data, we underline the importance of carrying out periodic monitoring investigations in order to protect the health of workers.