Published by Oxford University Press doi:10.1093/annhyg/mel075 Exposure to Wood Dust Among Carpenters in the Construction Industry in The Netherlands

Exposure to wood dust was measured among 26 carpenters at 13 building projects. Sampling days were chosen randomly. Individual tasks, based on technology applied and material used during a working day, were sampled separately. From these task-based measurements, 8 h time-weighted average concentrations were calculated. Sampling was performed in accordance with a protocol that was developed by the carpentry and furniture industry and which was especially designed for sampling of wood dust. Eight hours time-weighted average exposure to wood dust ranged from 0.8 to 11.6 mg m3 with a geometric mean (GM) of 3.3 mg m3 and a geometric standard deviation (GSD) of 2.1. The probability of exceedance of the OEL, when comparing the estimated concentrations against the Dutch OEL of 2 mg m3, was 75%. The highest exposures were measured during sawing of Cempanel sheets. Task-based measurements showed lowest exposures when working outdoors (n = 11, AM = 2.2 mg m3), but even then 5 out of 11 task-based exposures exceeded 2 mg m3. Indoors the exposure was 5.2 mg m3 (AM, n = 29) and when working both indoors and outdoors exposure was 16.2 mg m3 (AM, n = 4). In conclusion, long-term average exposure to wood dust among carpenters at construc-tion sites is more than 1.5 times the present occupational exposure limit of 2 mg m3. Th