Document mq6X9vyYXEkBe9Ke66myojmVd

'' ,v\ ' ASBESTOSIS --Part 1: The Collection mid Counting of Dust Encountered iu Asbestos Fabricating Plants INTRODUCTION The Ponnslvauiu Department of Labor and Industry now is engaged in several surveys on the effect of dusts and their relation to the health of the worker. In view of the limited information now avail* able and the many new uses of asbestos a survey of the conditions presented iu asbestos fabricating plants becomes increasingly im portant The 1930 Qoneva report of the International Labor Office in "Occu pation and llenMIi"' cites "The lack of more accurate and detailed data in medical literature regarding tills industry in its various branches, including the utilization of by-product* is to be deplored in view of the self-evident importance of asbestos dust as a predisposing cause of pulmonary tuberculosis, moro especially since the rapidly- increasing development of industries utilizing asbestos adds greatly to the urgency of studying the conditions with a view to their amelioration." .. In a survey now being conducted in the asbestos industries approxi mately one hundred and fifty samples have been collected and the data presented in fids paper were obtained from these samples. Ail the samples were collected In the worker's breathing zone. Dust samples were collected at the site of eaeh operation in the process of manufacture and in some instances two samples at the same time au.d in the same zone but in different collection mediums. The purpose of ibis report is to discuss our modification of the tech nique already in use in its application for this type of work. METHOD The modified form of the Qrecnbuvg-Smith impinger3 was used for the collection of dust particles. A cylindrical flask 210 millimeters in height and 50 millimeters in diameter is graduated to 325 cubic centimeters. A line is marked 5 millimeters from the base of the flask for use in gauging tits impinging distance. The impinger tube, made according to specified measurements, is inserted through a No. 10 rubber stopper which fits the flask. In the modified form of the impinger apparatus, the bottom of the flask is used as the impinging surface. When sampling dust in the field a calibrated flowmeter was used so as to insure collection at the rate of one cubic foot per minute. All samples were taken os dose to the face of the worker as possible. For this purpose a specially designed holster (Fig. 1) to support the impinging flask whs strapped to the chest of the worker. The holster waa made entirely nf leather straps one-half inch in width. It was 3