Determining occupational exposure to inhalable wood dust in forestry operation

Abstract

Abstract In the present study, occupational exposure to softwood (Pinus brutia) and hardwood (Fagus sylvatica and Quercus petraea) wood dust was determined during forestry work in a timber yard. In the determination of inhalable wood dust, three operating parameters of the chainsaw were taken into account. The first operating parameter was the chainsaw operating under normal conditions, which means proper maintenance and infrequent throttle pressing. Measurements under normal conditions were referred to as reference measurements and were used for comparison. The experiment continued with measurements of wood dust concentration under two other chainsaw operating parameters, namely, improper chainsaw maintenance and infrequent throttle pressing. The determination of inhalable wood dust concentrations from the ambient air was performed using the Inhalable Organic Matter (IOM) sampler, manufactured by SKC Button Sampler (Dorset, United Kingdom). Out of a total of 108 concentration values of inhalable wood dust, 44 (40.74%) showed concentrations greater than 3.00 mg·m− 3, while in 10 (9.26%) values, the dust concentration exceeded 5 mg·m− 3. The eight-hour time-weighted average exposure to wood dust ranged from 0.99 mg·m− 3 to 12.52 mg·m− 3, with an average of 4.22 mg·m− 3. The results indicated that the increase in wood dust concentration is dependent on improper chainsaw maintenance, while infrequent throttle pressing reduces dust concentration levels. Additionally, an increase in wood dust concentration was observed in species with thick bark (Pinus brutia and Quercus petraea).