Mining Safety: Personal Dust Monitor Filters for Accurate, Quantifiable Spectrometric Analysis and Assessment of Worker Exposure Levels

This CDC-developed invention pertains to a novel dust monitor filter that is specially constructed of organic materials for spectrometric analysis, ultimately allowing for detection and accurate quantification of a particular chosen analyte (e.g., crystalline silica/quartz dust that may lead to silicosis).

For miners, the risk of lung disease increases with the extent of dust exposure, and coal worker's pneumoconiosis (aka, black lung disease) and silicosis are still dangers routinely faced by those in the industry. Expectedly, both the concentration and the composition of airborne particulate matter present in mining environments are points of regulatory concern. For some time, collecting airborne dust samples and subsequent determination of quartz content have been integral for assessing mine worker exposure and demonstrating compliance with US Federal regulations.

Unfortunately, highly accurate spectrometric detection and quantification of particulate exposure has not always been possible. Generally, the filters used in existing oscillating microbalances (such as the TEOM® monitor) have been specially designed to for hydrophobicity, in order to retain as little moisture as possible on the filter. These specialized hydrophobic filters (and/or their mounting components) contain inorganic compounds that cannot be readily subjected to thermal or chemical destruction - a necessary first step of many instrumental analytical methods, such as spectroscopy.

This CDC-developed filter consists of entirely ashable material, making it ideal for spectrometric analysis and rapid exposure assessment. As an example, this dust monitor filter can be made entirely of organic materials and designed for quick, easy ashing that will not produce interference with the spectroscopic characteristics of the chosen analyte(s). Further, filter ashing can be carried out by a variety of methods: thermal ashing, microwave ashing, low temperature ashing, or chemical destruction.