rss
Occup Environ Med 59:523-531 doi:10.1136/oem.59.8.523
  • Original article

Assessment of the exposure of islanders to ash from the Soufriere Hills volcano, Montserrat, British West Indies

Table 12

Approximate mean personal exposure concentrations (μg/m3) of respirable dust and cristobalite (assuming a mean cristobalite content of 15% in airborne dust) during the course of the current eruption (April 1996 to August 1999)

Respirable dust Cristobalite
Cork Hill* Salem† North Cork Hill Salem North
The US (ACGIH) limit for workplace exposure to cristobalite adjusted for 24 hour exposure over 365 days/year is equivalent to 10 μg/m3.
*Assumes evacuation to Salem in June 1997 and then to north of island in August 1997.
†Asumes evacuated to north of island between August 1997 and October 1998.
Sedentary adults 100 60 40 15 10 5
Active adults 140 90 60 20 20 10
Adults with dusty occupations 390 260 180 60 40 30
Children 200 130 80 30 20 10

This Article

Free sample

This recent issue is free to all users to allow everyone the opportunity to see the full scope and typical content of OEM.
View free sample issue >>

Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.