Dust Exposure in the Vermont Granite Sheds

Abstract

To estimate the current dust exposure in the granite sheds of Vermont, 784 personal mass respirable dust samples were collected from 13 occupational groups in 49 granite sheds, and 483 of these samples were analyzed for quartz content. A lifetime estimate of exposure to granite dust and quartz was calculated for each worker from the dust concentration data and a complete occupational history. Five indices of exposure were developed, and dust-year was selected by a multiple regression analysis as the index most highly correlated with changes in vital capacity (FVC). The current dust and quartz concentrations in the granite sheds differ from previous estimates due to differences in sampling and analytical techniques. Since the quartz content of granite dust differs between occupations, the threshold limit value for granite dust should be stated directly as a quartz limit.