Silica dust

Silica is a very abundant mineral on the earth’s surface. Although this nomenclature encloses, not only a type of mineral but a group of them which are composed of silicon and oxygen. They can present various forms, being the most common one the quartz, which is present naturally in nature.

So, the term ‘silica dust’ is referred to dust created by cutting, grinding, drilling, or otherwise disturbing these materials that contain silica particles.

When inhaled into the lungs, silica dust is very harmful, as it is 100 times smaller than a grain of sand, and it can be inhaled without knowing it.

Exposure to silica dust can lead to the development of lung cancer, silicosis (irreversible scarring and stiffening of the lungs), kidney disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In this regard, it must be pointed out that cancer risk increases with long-term or repeated high-level exposure.

It is known that all around the world a lot of people develop lung cancer each year as a result of past exposure to silica dust at work. Although not all exposed workers will develop cancer.

However, it must be noted that exposure to pure silica is extremely rare. The silica dust inhaled is usually composed of a mixture of crystalline silica and other materials.

For that matter, the response of an individual is likely to depend on: nature and crystalline silica content of the dust, the dust fraction, the extent and nature of personal exposure, personal physiological characteristics, and smoking habits.

In respect of circular economy, when silica dust appears in a demolition (or a remodel or any other construction activity) it is indispensable to plan and execute very carefully the decontamination, not only in order to protect human health but to allow the possibility of reusing and recycling the surrounding materials.

For that matter, it is very important to know in advance where to expect the presence of silica dust, to plan in advance, the decontamination, ensuring not to contaminate the surrounding areas. The figure below includes the most common materials which have silica (which will generate silica dust when manipulated) in their composition.

In nature, silica dust is found in some:

  • Stones
  • Rocks
  • Sand
  • Gravel
  • Clay

On manufactured products and materials, silica-dust can mainly be found in:

  • Silica containing composites
  • Sandstone, gritstone, quartzite, flint
  • Cement and cement paste
  • Bricks
  • Tiles
  • Slate
  • Granite
  • Ironstone
  • Basalt, dolerite
  • Concrete and mortar
  • Some plastic materials

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