Silica dust (respirable crystalline silica, RCS) is a silent killer in the workplace. For anyone working in construction, concrete processing, demolition or industry, it is essential to measure and limit exposure to this dust. In this blog you will discover how to measure silica simply and accurately, and what measuring equipment is available. In this article we cover the following topics:
- What is silica dust?
- What are the dangers of silica dust?
- What does Dutch legislation say about silica dust?
- How can you measure silica dust?
What is silica dust?
Silica dust is the collective term for the fine dust particles released when materials containing crystalline silica are worked — a natural mineral found above all in quartz. Crystalline silica is a chemical compound of silicon and oxygen with the formula:
SiO₂ (silicon dioxide). Several names circulate in the field, including: respirable crystalline silica, silica dust, quartz dust, and you may well have come across others. In essence, the following crystalline forms are usually meant:
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Quartz (by far the most common form; beach sand, for instance, consists of 80-100% quartz)
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Cristobalite (like quartz, cristobalite is made of SiO2, but it has a different structure. The "building blocks" are therefore the same, but the form differs)
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Tridymite (like cristobalite, it forms in volcanic rock, but it can also be produced artificially during industrial processes in which silica is heated to extreme temperatures)
These compounds are stable and harmless in themselves as long as they remain in solid form. But as soon as you work them, for example by:
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grinding
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sawing
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milling
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drilling
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breaking
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sandblasting
...fine, or even ultrafine, dust particles are released, often smaller than 4 micrometres (μm). These particles are so small that they penetrate deep into the lungs, where the body can no longer clear them. Respirable means that the dust particles are small enough to penetrate deep into the lungs (fraction size <PM4), specifically as far as the alveoli. Silica, meanwhile, refers to crystalline silicon dioxide. This is why official documentation often speaks of respirable crystalline silica.
What does Dutch legislation say about silica dust?
Crystalline silica dust is regarded by the RIVM as a Substance of Very High Concern (SVHC). That is to say, this substance is regarded as an SVHC because EU Regulation 2017/2398/CE states that there is sufficient evidence that respirable crystalline silica dust is carcinogenic (cancer-causing)
What are the dangers of personal exposure to silica dust?
Long-term exposure to silica dust is associated with a range of health problems, in particular silicosis and lung cancer. Silicosis is one of the oldest known occupational diseases: a progressive and irreversible pulmonary fibrosis caused by inhaling respirable crystalline silica particles. These particles trigger inflammatory reactions and scarring in the lung tissue, which in severe cases can lead to lung failure and death.
In addition, silicosis patients face an increased risk of silicotuberculosis, a combination of silicosis and a serious mycobacterial infection. Even among workers without silicosis, epidemiological research shows that exposure to RCS increases the risk of lung cancer. The damage that silica dust causes to lung cells leads to chronic inflammation and can thereby promote the development of tumours. Other reported health risks are COPD, kidney disease, cardiovascular disease and certain auto-immune diseases.
Source: Health Council of the Netherlands - Summary of advice on respirable crystalline silica
In which sectors does exposure to silica dust occur?
Exposure to respirable silica dust occurs in a wide range of sectors, above all in construction and industry. Because crystalline silica is common in natural materials such as sand, stone and clay, silica dust arises during all kinds of work in which these materials are processed or moved. Think of sawing, drilling, grinding and cutting concrete, cement or natural stone, but also of sandblasting, sanding or working with ceramics, brick, glass or engineered quartz. Even shovelling dry material or clearing up construction waste can release dust. Settled dust can be stirred up again by wind or vehicles, which means colleagues in the vicinity are also at risk.
Although exposure has decreased over recent decades, the risk remains high in some sectors. The processing of engineered quartz in particular – popular for kitchen and bathroom worktops – is a worrying source of exposure. These materials can contain more than 90% finely ground crystalline silica. There are consequently many reports of silicosis among relatively young workers who work with engineered quartz. In the Netherlands an estimated 457,000 workers are at risk of exposure to silica dust.
Occupations with increased exposure include bricklayers, tilers, demolition workers, shipbuilders, railway workers, miners (surface and underground), tunnel workers, employees in foundries and the glass and ceramics industry, polishers, sandblasting specialists, and even staff in the soap and detergent sector.
Why choose BaSystemen?
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Official Trolex distributor
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Technical support and training
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Fast delivery throughout the Netherlands & Belgium
- Many years of experience in silica dust measurement
Measuring silica dust? What are the options?
Exposure to silica dust can be limited, and sometimes even prevented, in a number of ways. The occupational hygiene strategy provides a good guideline here. Do take a look at this page from the Dutch Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment to minimise exposure to silica dust in your company.
Gravimetric silica dust measurement
Gravimetric measurement is a reliable method for establishing exposure to respirable silica dust in the workplace. With this method dust is collected on a filter, after which the sample is analysed in a laboratory. BaSystemen offers complete measuring sets for rental or purchase, including expert advice on the right sampling head (cyclone), filters and sampling pumps. After the measurement, the samples can be sent to a laboratory for analysis.
+ Very low detection limit for analysis (1µg/filter)
- No immediate result
Real-time monitoring with the Trolex Air XS
The Trolex Air XS offers an innovative solution for silica dust monitoring in the workplace. Unlike traditional gravimetric methods, this monitor gives immediate insight into the concentration of silica dust in the air. This allows you to intervene straight away when limits are exceeded and to take targeted measures. It is also a handy tool for objectively assessing before-and-after situations. The Air XS uses advanced sensor technology, requires no filters or laboratory analysis and is low-maintenance. BaSystemen supplies the Trolex Air XS ready for use. Alternatively, the device is also available from us for rental.
+ Real-time monitoring
+ Immediate alarm when limits are exceeded
+ Online insight into measurement data over time
A direct-reading silica dust monitor? Yes, you read that correctly!
Continuously logging equipment provides valuable information for characterising peak exposures, tracing sources and evaluating control measures. Traditional direct-reading dust measuring equipment gives only an indication of the concentration of respirable dust, but not of the crystalline silica fraction. Accurately determining the quartz content normally requires laboratory analysis, as described above.
The Trolex Air XS breaks through this limitation. This innovative instrument is currently the only direct-reading silica dust monitor on the market that can indeed distinguish between dust and respirable crystalline silica (RCS). The Air XS detects the presence of crystalline silica in real time, without the need for filter analysis in a laboratory. Risks can therefore be assessed immediately and work processes adjusted without delay.
Working safely starts with awareness and the right measuring equipment. Whether it concerns periodic checks or continuous monitoring, a reliable silica dust measurement is essential in order to prevent damage to health.
Would you like advice on the right measuring solution for your situation, or to rent or buy a measuring system? Contact us — we are happy to think along with you.
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