Use of Low-Cost Particle Counters for Cotton Dust Exposure Assessment in Textile Mills in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Abstract

Objective There is a lack of consensus on methods for cotton dust measurement in the textile industry, and techniques vary between countries—relying mostly on cumbersome, traditional approaches. We undertook comparisons of standard, gravimetric methods with low-cost optical particle counters for personal and area dust measurements in textile mills in Pakistan. Methods We included male textile workers from the weaving sections of seven cotton mills in Karachi. We used the Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM) sampler with a Casella Apex 2 standard pump and the Purple Air (PA-II-SD) for measuring personal exposures to inhalable airborne particles (n = 31). We used the Dylos DC1700 particle counter, in addition to the two above, for area-level measurements (n = 29). Results There were no significant correlations between the IOM and PA for personal dust measurements using the original (r = −0.15, P = 0.4) or log-transformed data (r = −0.32, P = 0.07). Similarly, there were no significant correlations when comparing the IOM with either of the particle counters (PA and Dylos) for area dust measurements, using the original (r = −0.07, P = 0.7; r = 0.10, P = 0.6) or log-transformed data (r = −0.09, P = 0.6; r = 0.07, P = 0.7). Conclusion Our findings show a lack of correlation between the gravimetric method and the use of particle counters in both personal and area measurements of cotton dust, precluding their use for measuring occupational exposures to airborne dust in textile mills. There continues to be a need to develop low-cost instruments to help textile industries in low- and middle-income countries to perform cotton dust exposure assessment.

Impact of cotton dust, endotoxin exposure, and other occupational health risk due to indoor pollutants on textile industry workers in low and middle- income countries

“…From the previous studies, it is found that high dust concentration is present in the personal breathing zone (IOM=1.07 mg/m 3 ) compared to area dust (Dylos=0.09 mg/m 3 ) at a particular location [37]. So, dust control measures help to prevent the prevalence of Byssinosis.…”

“…Typically the study included 656 cotton dust-exposed subjects and 113 non-exposed subjects the studies revealed that happen to be exposed to silk cotton dust have bigger respiratory symptoms as compared to those who happen to be not exposed [35,36]. Recently, Asaad et al undertook research involving 7 textile mills in the particular Karachi region associated with Pakistan where these people determined cotton dust exposures by making use of three different dirt measurement equipment and conducted two experimental works for evaluating personal dust and area dust concentrations [37].…”