Key points
- Aerosols are small particles in the air that can be harmful.
- NIOSH studies how to protect workers from harmful effects of aerosols.
- NIOSH offers guides and tools to keep workers safe from harmful aerosols.
Overview
An aerosol may be defined as a suspension of particles or droplets in air. Aerosols may include airborne dusts, mists, fumes, or smoke. Suspended particle sizes may range from a few nanometers (nm) to hundreds of micrometers (µm) in diameter. For comparison a human hair may be between 20 to 180 µm in diameter. Particles can be manufactured or naturally occurring.
Aerosols in the workplace may pose both health and safety hazards. Aerosols are encountered across multiple industry sectors. Particles can be inhaled, absorbed by the skin, enter the eyes or be ingested. Factors such as particle size, composition, shape, and concentration, can determine whether particles can cause harm to workers. Harmful effects can be either short or long term. Safety hazards may include slips, fires, or explosions.
NIOSH has carried out extensive aerosol research in exposure assessment, epidemiology, toxicology, risk mitigation, aerosol sampling and method development. This assists our understanding in:
- How aerosols are formed and transported through the workplace.
- Which workers may be most impacted and to what extent.
- The health implications to workers.
- The safety implications in the workplace.
- How to sample for and measure aerosols in the workplace.
- How to reduce or eliminate the health and safety hazards.
NIOSH recommends using the Hierarchy of Controls in reducing or eliminating hazards in the workplace.
Resources
Below are some aerosols resources based on NIOSH research.
Dust Control Handbook for Industrial Minerals Mining and Processing. Second edition. Describes effective methods for the control of mineral dusts in mines.
Best Practices for Dust Control in Coal Mining. Second edition: Describes effective methods for the control of coal dust in mines.
Nanotechnology: Workers within nanotechnology-related industries may experience exposure to uniquely engineered materials. This includes novel sizes, shapes, and physical and chemical properties.
NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods (NMAM): Methods for sampling and analysis of contaminants in workplace air. It includes methods for quantifying contaminants in the blood and urine of workers who are occupationally exposed.
NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards: Provides general industrial hygiene information on several hundred chemicals/classes found in the work environment.
NIOSHTIC-2 is a searchable bibliographic database of publications, documents, grant reports, and journal articles. Suggested key words: aerosol, particulate matter, dust, mists, fume, exhaust, aerosol or dust sampling, aerosol or dust exposure, combustible dusts.