Release of Crystalline Silica Nanoparticles during Engineered Stone Fabrication.

ABSTRACT: Inhalation exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) during the fabrication of engineered stone-based kitchen countertops has been on the rise in recent years and has become a significant occupational health problem in the United States and globally. Little is known about the presence of nanocrystalline silica (NCS), i.e., particles below 100 nm. We present a methodology to quantify the crystalline silica content in the sub-100 nm size fraction of the aerosol released during engineered stone fabrication using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Aerosol was generated in a test chamber designed per EN 1093-3 and sampled using cascade impactors. XRD and FTIR analysis showed the presence of both α-quartz (15-60%) and cristobalite (10-50%) polymorph

SUBMITTER: Rishi K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11683610 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature