Workplace monitoring of occupational exposure to refractory ceramic fiber--a 17-year retrospective

Inhal Toxicol. 2008 Feb;20(3):289-309. doi: 10.1080/08958370701866040.

Abstract

This article presents a 17-year (1990-2006) retrospective summary of ongoing studies of occupational exposure to refractory ceramic fiber (RCF) in the United States. Beginning in 1990, RCF producers integrated and harmonized individual workplace monitoring programs to provide data useful for various longitudinal and cross-sectional analyses, benchmarking, and various technical analyses. For 10 of these 17 years, the program has been conducted in partnership with government agencies, first a 5-year (1993-1998) program with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and later another 5-year (2002-2006) program with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. This article updates earlier published studies and provides lessons to be learned in the design of industrial hygiene monitoring and control programs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Air Pollutants, Occupational / adverse effects
  • Air Pollutants, Occupational / analysis*
  • Ceramics / adverse effects
  • Ceramics / analysis*
  • Environmental Monitoring*
  • Humans
  • Kaolin / adverse effects
  • Kaolin / analysis*
  • Mineral Fibers / adverse effects
  • Mineral Fibers / analysis*
  • Occupational Exposure
  • Retrospective Studies
  • United States
  • Workplace*

Substances

  • Air Pollutants, Occupational
  • Mineral Fibers
  • RCF-1 fiber
  • Kaolin