RESUMEN
The authors respond to the points raised in the Letters to the Editor raised by Ogden and Du Clos and by Foster. Ad 1: The debate of the classification of respirable cyrstalline silica is outside the scope of the technical paper. Ad 2: A standard for the determination of SWeRF is under development, in which indeed the provision is made that for a correct determination all quartz within the fine fraction needs to be liberated. Ad 3: Dustiness tests provide useful information for occupational hygienists, but are not suitable for fulfilling classification and labelling requirements. Ad 4: Pipette effects are not discussed in the paper because the difference between calculating the SWeRF from the particle size distribution and the SWeRF from sedimentation is very small.
Asunto(s)
Pruebas de Carcinogenicidad , Monitoreo del Ambiente/métodos , Etiquetado de Productos/normas , Dióxido de Silicio/análisis , Dióxido de Silicio/toxicidad , HumanosRESUMEN
In accordance with the European regulation for classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures (CLP) as well as the criteria as set out in the Globally Harmonized System (GHS), fine fraction of crystalline silica (CS) has been classified as a specific target organ toxicity, the specific organ in this case being the lung. Generic cut-off values for products containing a fine fraction of CS trigger the need for a method for the quantification of the fine fraction of CS in bulk materials. This article describes the so-called SWeRF method, the size-weighted relevant fine fraction. The SWeRF method combines the particle size distribution of a powder with probability factors from the EN 481 standard and allows the relevant fine fraction of a material to be calculated. The SWeRF method has been validated with a number of industrial minerals. This will enable manufacturers and blenders to apply the CLP and GHS criteria for the classification of mineral products containing RCS a fine fraction of CS.
Asunto(s)
Monitoreo del Ambiente/métodos , Etiquetado de Productos/normas , Dióxido de Silicio/análisis , Contaminantes Ocupacionales del Aire/análisis , Polvo/análisis , Unión Europea , Regulación Gubernamental , Sustancias Peligrosas/análisis , Humanos , Tamaño de la Partícula , Probabilidad , Etiquetado de Productos/legislación & jurisprudencia , Dióxido de Silicio/clasificaciónRESUMEN
A range of industrial minerals was tested using the rotating drum and the continuous drop methods, the two methods proposed by the published European standard EN 15051 [CEN. (2006) EN 15051 Workplace atmospheres-measurement of the dustiness of bulk materials-requirements and test methods. Brussels, Belgium: European Committee for Standardization], to evaluate and compare their dustiness. The assessment of bulk materials dustiness can help to develop less dusty products and to reduce dust exposure to the workers by improving the processing of minerals. The European standard EN 15051 (CEN, 2006) proposes a classification system that was developed with the intention to assist in the labelling of products in the future. This paper presents a comparison of both test methods in classifying industrial minerals. The correlation between the dustiness measured by the two methods for the inhalable and respirable fractions is given. The results show there is no unambiguous dependence of the dustiness on the grain size of an industrial mineral. Although dustiness can significantly be affected by product moisture, the influence of this parameter is not studied in detail as the industrial minerals were tested in the conditions they are sold, as the standard requires. Especially, the classification of substances with respect to different classes of dustiness was found to be problematic, as the two methods are by no means yielding identical classification groups for all the substances. In any use of the standard (EN 15051; CEN, 2006) for labelling purposes, a revision of the present classification system provided in the standard is required for industrial minerals.