Workplace Air Quality at Explosive Material Manufacturing and Handling Units

Worldwide, large quantities of explosives are manufactured for use in various types of ammunitions, arms, and mines. Toxic pollutants in the workplaces of three major activities, viz., explosive and solid propellant preparation facility, solid propellant shell assembling facility, and solid propellant shell proof firing facility, were studied. The suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentration in grinding room (13.9 mg/m3) and sieving room (19.3 mg/m3) of solid propellant preparation facility was observed to be two to threefold higher than the permissible limit. The SPM in the dentex preparation section was found to be significantly high (10.8 mg/m3). The personal exposure was fourfold higher (21 mg/m3) than the permissible limit. It was emerged that concentration of particulate is a major concern in all the processing sections. Since the chemical nature of these particulates is expected to be more toxic in nature, it requires greater attention. At firing point, carbon monoxide appeared to be a major concern