Dust And Smoke: The Most Dangerous Culprits In Industry

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Two types of hazards are related to dust and smoke: one is easy to predict, and the other is more hidden but still dangerous. Unfortunately, the list of hazards that we did not anticipate shows no signs of diminishing. We continue to be surprised by dust explosions that we think are impossible, and are shocked by the new science that links dust exposure to serious medical conditions.

In factories, homes, restaurants, shops and offices, the exact composition of dust and other air pollutants is rarely known. It makes sense to treat all dust as potentially combustible dust. The 1981 Banbury custard explosion is still often joked-but no one was killed. Unfortunately, other incidents have claimed hundreds of lives. Dust can never be taken for granted. In November 2018, a major explosion occurred in a cement silo in Martinsburg, West Virginia [1]. Cement was previously considered so safe that it was used as a fire-proof and explosion-proof agent. Even more surprising is that some people blame the dust collection equipment as the cause of this situation.

Unfortunately, dust will naturally gather in places you don't often look for: on roof beams, above suspended ceilings, and in industrial dust collection systems or air conditioning ducts, which are not adequate.

Hazardous Dust If fire and explosion hazards are unpredictable, what is the impact of daily dust and smoke on health?

Health and safety guidelines and media reports remind us all of the dangers of carbon monoxide, asbestos and (hopefully) volatile organic compounds (VOC). Most of us know that refrigerator gas is harmful to the ozone layer, and we believe that carbon dioxide is harmful to the weather. We may have heard that soot in diesel exhaust can cause asthma, and we do not add lead to gasoline. Unfortunately, this may sum up the knowledge level of most people about the medical and environmental hazards of dust and smoke. We are very complacent.

The most dangerous type of dust is the dust you often don't see. Particles between 0.01 and 100 microns in size are "respirable", but particles smaller than 10 microns are "respirable". Inhalable particles penetrate deep into the lungs, enter the circulatory system, and cause stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, respiratory infections, asthma, and neurodegenerative diseases. Particulate matter in the air has been shown to be related to infants’ low birth weight and premature birth [2]. They have been found in human placenta and human brain, which strongly proves their influence on intelligence [3].

There are many good reasons to install the best air quality control system you can afford, but there are some airborne hazards that many people don’t know about.

Construction Dust The government estimates that more than 500 construction workers die each year due to the effects of ordinary wind-blown dust (silica) [4]. When you realize that workers in the construction industry spend most of their time in "fresh air", this highlights just how dangerous our construction materials are. Building dust can cause lung cancer, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and silicosis.

When asked about the importance of construction workers, they think their industry controls dust, 44% answered "rarely", only 12.5% thought it was a priority, and only 3% had sufficient Aware of the risks [5].

Although fiberglass is now used in most homes and commercial lofts, there are still some questions about the safety of glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) (commonly called fiberglass). Some experts believe that there has not been enough research on the effects of long-term exposure.

Are toners and printer inks safe for you in the office? If you use copiers and printers a lot, maybe not. Toner ink poses a number of health risks. Carbon black has been classified as a 2B carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, and the London Hazard Center expressed concern that a large amount of carbon monoxide and ozone will be produced when the photocopier becomes hot due to heavy use [7]. They also emit volatile organic compounds [8].

Coffee dust As early as the 1950s, exposure to coffee dust was associated with respiratory problems, such as asthma and other lung changes. In 1996, HSE published a conclusion, “There is sufficient evidence to conclude that coffee bean dust meets the revised EU standard (1996), classifies it as a respiratory sensitizer (cause of asthma) and is labeled R42. Label." [9]

Allergies in the UK, allergies and certain types of autoimmune diseases continue to be on the rise. Various materials and chemicals are now considered "sensitizers." Fairly mild exposure can cause a lifetime overreaction of the immune system, manifested as skin rashes, respiratory illnesses, and discomfort. Common manufacturing ingredients such as toluene, diisocyanate (TDI) and formaldehyde are the main reasons, and they are constantly being released from synthetic carpets, curtains and furniture. Ordinary sawdust is also a major sensitizer.

In addition to toxic metals in welding fumes, welding also involves "flux." Flux is a resin by-product of turpentine distillation. Also called rosin, it is mainly composed of rosin acid and a small amount of stilbene derivatives, amine hydrochloride activator and other hydrocarbons. When heated, by-products include hydrochloric acid, benzene, toluene, styrene, phenol, chlorophenol, isopropanol and fatty aldehydes.

20% of employees engaged in or close to welding (electronic assembly, refrigerator engineers) suffer from asthma, and research shows that this is the main cause of illness and employee turnover in these industries. During the welding process, metal will also spread in the air. Exposure to lead and other heavy metals can cause infertility, miscarriage, brain damage, fatigue, irritation and anemia [10].

Carbon fiber is another fiber material similar to glass fiber and asbestos. During cutting, milling or finishing, it easily becomes dust in the air and tends to adhere to surfaces, including human skin and mucous membranes. The main risk comes from the solvents used in its production and the resin epoxy resin coating applied to the fibers. Known problems include eye irritation and visual disturbances, respiratory effects, dizziness, drowsiness, nausea, dermatitis, and sometimes vomiting [11].

Plastering materials are the same, and every home and office has it, but they don’t like plaster and plasterboard in waste disposal sites for a reason. It tends to emit toxic gases, including hydrogen sulfide and other sulfur-containing fumes. Lime, sulfate hemihydrate, silica and mica are easily spread through the air and cause respiratory diseases such as asthma, COPD, chronic bronchitis and irreversible emphysema [12].

Cement Almost all dust in modern buildings contains cement derived from concrete, mortar, tiles and other products. As we all know, cement dust can cause lung damage, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumoconiosis and lung cancer. Like sand, it can be broken down into very small particles and penetrate deep into the body, reaching every organ, including the heart, liver, kidney, spleen, bones and muscles. It can cause stomach and colon cancer and arthritis. It has even been found growing in our hair [13].

Amorphous silica Amorphous silica is more likely to form fine airborne particles than crystalline silica in sand or cement. It is found in a large number of modern products, including rubber, silica gel, automobile tires, as an anti-caking agent for various other powdery materials, as a liquid carrier for animal feed and agrochemicals, toothpaste and cosmetics, paint, insulating materials, Adhesives, paints and printer inks [14].

The risks of biomass, a "green" product, begin long before it is burned to generate electricity in power stations or on-site generators. There is no precise definition of biomass. In some cases, the product includes hazardous wood waste such as sewage sludge, particle board, and high levels of heavy metals. Biomass dust and smoke contain bacteria, fungi, molds (including penicillium and Aspergillus), actinomycetes, endotoxins, aldehydes, monoterpenes and resin acids. It also releases carbon monoxide that causes death during storage and transportation. Biomass ash contains cadmium, chromium, lead, nickel, manganese and aluminum.

The agricultural industry that handles hay, straw, potatoes and many other stored products also presents similar dangers. Biomass dust can cause eye, nose and respiratory tract irritation (including "farmer lungs"), alveolitis and granulomatous disease [15].

What is safer than natural wood? However, lung cancer was first discovered because of health problems observed in sawmills. Sawdust is also related to Hodgkin's disease, leukemia, gastrointestinal cancer, tremor, chronic fatigue syndrome, renal failure, toxic pneumonia, allergic pneumonia, and various allergic and immune diseases.

Nail dust. Dust in nail sticks, hand and foot specialists and podiatry clinics usually contains keratin, keratin hydrolysate, microbial debris and fungi (dermatophytes and saprophytes). Workers are four times more likely to suffer from asthma than the national average. Dust may also expose them to infectious diseases such as hepatitis B and C or HIV.

Because of the chemicals in hair care and nail polish, nail shops and beauty salons are also dangerous environments.

Tool sharpening A common activity in any workshop is tool sharpening. However, saw blades and other sharp edges often contain cobalt as a tungsten carbide binder, and even small amounts can be harmful. It is related to interstitial fibrosis, interstitial pneumonia, myocardial and thyroid diseases, asthma, interstitial lung disease, skin allergies, and bone marrow hyperplasia [16].

Almost all high-speed grinding, sharpening, milling and drilling tools, and welding operations emit complex chemicals into the air, leading to "smoky disease." This disease is also common when your material is polymer instead of metal.

Fiberboard Fiberboard (such as MDF) was adopted on a large scale in the 1990s and is still used in large quantities today. These synthetic woods are basically fibrous waste bonded with carcinogenic formaldehyde-based resins. Unfortunately, MDF and other fiberboards produce more dust when cut or sanded than real wood, and the particles are small and "inhalable." At the TUC meeting, Bectu Deputy Secretary-General Roy Lockett said: "MDF is asbestos in the 90s. It is carcinogenic. It causes disease. It damages the eyes, skin, lungs and heart. It is despicable and harmful."

London Hazards, an independent consulting service agency, also drew attention to the fact that home and office furniture made of MDF continue to slowly release formaldehyde, causing asthma, allergies and cancer. Any office that uses MDF to build furniture needs good ventilation [17].

Looking for a safe solution If you are concerned about dust or smoke hazards, the first question to ask is whether you need to create it. There are usually safer materials that you can substitute, alternative methods that don't allow pollutants to spread through the air, or automation that keeps workers at a safer distance.

Another question about your dust suppression strategy is whether it increases risk. Inexpensive solutions that collect polluted air from one location and store it in another are usually worse than useless. Although an individual welder may like a fan to blow dust and smoke away from his face, these pollutants are now polluting the environment in a wider area. Leaking pipes are known to deposit the dust they collect into the ceiling voids. From there it rolls back into the air slowly or suddenly. Underpowered or underserved pipes can accumulate debris, which can themselves be a fire or toxic hazard.

The ideal suction system satisfies all of the following goals: it must safely handle or transfer hazards; its components must not contain potential sources of ignition (so please use non-spark fans, spark suppressors and pre-separators); it must be as quiet and as possible Unobtrusive; and it must be cheap to operate.

Today's professionally installed dust removal technology can meet all these standards.

The most common method of extracting airborne hazards is to use a local exhaust ventilation (LEV) system. This is a type of air extractor that can pass air through a filter or directly into the environment. Dust removal professionals will perform some very complex mathematical operations to ensure that the pipes, filters and compressors in the industrial fume exhaust system operate at the required air volume and pressure.

New technology If you haven't studied the costs and benefits of dust collectors for a while, you will miss many improvements. The redesign of fan blades and improved compressors enable modern systems to produce a fraction of the noise of some older models, with greater power and lower operating costs.

Filtration technologies include high-efficiency particulate blockers (HEPA), F-class or Eurovent filters, dust bag filters, coarse dust filters, M-class filters, in-line dust filters and activated carbon filters. New types of nanofibers are emerging that can collect more dust before they need to be replaced or replaced. There are also systems that can use static electricity, magnetism, or combustion to eliminate certain types of dust.

When the valve performance is not good, the filter and pipeline will be blocked by sediment. When valves and filters are clogged, it usually takes a long time for the occupants of the building to notice and intervene, during which time they are not protected. New types of valves (especially in impulse systems) can significantly reduce maintenance costs.

Through real-time monitoring of air quality, economic efficiency and energy consumption can be significantly improved. Without continuous operation, the sensor-equipped system can turn on, change the intensity or turn off completely, without relying on human intervention or judgment on aviation safety.

Whether it is exhaust air or recirculation air, air quality control can often be combined into an integrated HVAC solution to minimize heat loss in cold weather, provide cooling in hot weather, or use heat exchangers for recovery energy. Thanks to the new refrigerant gas, the energy efficiency of air cooling systems is much higher today. Twenty years ago, the air conditioning system consumed 6000 watts to cool ordinary houses. Today, the same job may only consume 1710 watts per hour.

Future dust and smoke emission regulations As more and more serious human diseases are directly related to the air quality in our workplaces, every company needs to sit down and take inventory. First of all, workers' illness, resignation, replacement and training are themselves huge administrative costs. Second, new scientific discoveries will inevitably become the basis for future industrial liability litigation, rising insurance premiums, and increased government control.

There are preliminary suggestions that industrially produced particulate matter may make a significant contribution to global warming by absorbing solar heat and transferring it to the troposphere [18]. If so, stricter dust and smoke regulations will certainly come sooner or later.

Paul Riddick is the co-founder and technical director of Vodex (Southampton, UK), an expert in fume extraction and dust removal. For more information, please call 44 (0)1489 899 070 or visit www.vodex.co.uk.

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