Characterization and Evaluation of Dust on Building Construction Sites in Brazil

Emilia R. Kohlman-Rabbani, A. Shapira, A. R. Martins, B. Barkokébas
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引用次数: 6

Abstract

Airborne dust can be hazardous to workers' health, especially when polymorphic crystalline forms of silica are present, which, depending on their concentration, specificity, and exposure time, can cause respiratory illnesses. In the majority of cases, the presence of some types of dust on building construction sites can be verified visually or through their effects, such as allergic reactions in workers and residents who live nearby. Construction workers are exposed to many raw materials and production processes that produce diverse types of dust, which propagate through the work envi- ronment and the neighborhood surrounding the construction site. The objective of this study was to quantitatively assess the exposure to dust of construction workers in Brazil, a country considered to be representative of the developing world and emerging economies. A preliminary study, conducted at several building sites to identify hazards, consisted of a sur- vey of dust-generating construction materials, processes, and equipment. Nine activities that expose workers to dust were identified, of which six were chosen for further analytical study: mortar/concrete mixing, worksite cleaning, tile cutting, plastering, woodcutting, and wall/ceiling surface sanding for paintwork. The first three activities were analyzed for the presence of free crystalline silica in the total and respirable fractions; of these, the tile-cutting activity presented the high- est exposure to silica concentration. Of the other three activities, paintwork and woodcutting exhibited total dust expo- sures equaling 368% and 159% of the international recommended limits, respectively. This study presents relevant infor- mation to help fight dust exposure on building construction sites and support the need to conduct quantitative dust analy- ses for workers in this sector in order to determine effective protection measurements.
巴西建筑工地粉尘特征与评价
空气中的粉尘可能对工人的健康有害,特别是当存在多晶态二氧化硅时,根据其浓度、特异性和暴露时间,可引起呼吸系统疾病。在大多数情况下,建筑工地上某些类型的粉尘的存在可以通过视觉或通过其影响进行验证,例如工人和居住在附近的居民的过敏反应。建筑工人接触到许多原材料和生产过程,这些原材料和生产过程会产生各种粉尘,这些粉尘通过工作环境和建筑工地周围的社区传播。这项研究的目的是定量评估巴西建筑工人接触粉尘的情况,巴西被认为是发展中国家和新兴经济体的代表。在几个建筑工地进行了初步研究,以确定危害,包括对产生粉尘的建筑材料、工艺和设备的调查。确定了工人接触粉尘的9项活动,其中6项被选中进行进一步的分析研究:砂浆/混凝土搅拌、工地清洁、瓷砖切割、抹灰、木刻和墙面/天花板表面打磨。前三种活性分析了总馏分和可吸入馏分中游离结晶二氧化硅的存在;其中,瓷砖切割活性表现出最高的暴露于二氧化硅浓度。在其他三种活动中,油漆和木刻的总粉尘含量分别达到国际建议限值的368%和159%。这项研究提供了有关资料,以协助打击建筑工地的粉尘暴露,并支持需要对该界别的工人进行定量的粉尘分析,以确定有效的防护措施。
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