New respirable silica dust laws: Why XRD is the method to use?

Respirable crystalline silica is formed when a silica-containing material is mechanically treated, as the treatment causes the formation of dust consisting of tiny silica particles a few microns large. These mechanical treatments include quarrying, tunneling, silicon mining, brick and tile making, stone- and concrete-cutting, construction and demolition work, foundry work, and grit- and sand-blasting.

Due to the up-rise of silicosis, countries like the US, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe are halving the permissible occupational exposure limits to respirable silica to as low as 0.05mg/m3. This new regulation puts pressure on traditional test methods like direct-on-filter FTIR, which cannot reach such low limits of detection.

Our applications specialist, Dr. Olga Narygina will explain the new dust laws and how service laboratories can adhere to the current norms and prescribed methods. She will introduce methodologies like X-ray diffraction (XRD) which is capable of not only low limits of detection, but also accurate quantification. For instance, unlike FTIR, XRD is able to distinguish various silica polymorphs.

This is what you’ll learn during this webinar:

• More about the new dust laws and why XRD is the method to use. Not only because of its low limits of detection as per the new regulation. But also its quick, accurate, and reliable quantification of various silica polymorphs so that you have confidence in EHS reporting
• Understand how you can leverage on XRD to achieve higher accreditation for your service lab such as ISO 16258-1
• Lastly, see how easy it is to perform your own XRD analysis on Malvern Panalytical’s high-performing, compact X-ray diffractometer, Aeris.

Previous blogs:

• Safe Environments Pty Ltd, Australia’s first NATA accredited lab for respirable silica ISO compliance
• Controlling respirable silica and asbestos in your mine or product manufacturing – Q&A

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