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[Comparison between two granulometric selectors--Dorr-Oliver and GS3--in respirable particles sampling for analytical
G Miscetti1, Giuliana Luciani, Manuela Mazzanti
1U.O.C. Prevenzione e Sicurezza Negli Ambienti di Lavoro--ASL2 Perugia. gmiscetti@ausl2.umbria.it
Background:
A Local Health Unit in the Umbria Region of Italy carried out environmental investigations to estimate exposure to respirable particles among workers in a number of companies belonging to the ceramics and brick industries manufacturing categories.
Objectives:
The purpose of this paper was to estimate the degree of agreement of two sampling methods, Dorr-Oliver and GS3 selectors. Both selectors are deemed to comply with the respirable particles sampling reported in European Standard EN 481/1993.
Methods:
For each worker, respirable particles and the quartz contained therein were collected using Dorr-Oliver and GS3 selectors simultaneously, so that quartz exposure was also measured.
Conclusions:
The comparison between the two series of airborne concentrations of respirable particles (collected with the two selectors), showed statistically significant differences (p < 0.05 with Student's t test). Moreover, Pearson's coefficient showed a low correlation between the two series of data. A similar conclusion was obtained analysing quartz airborne concentrations. The results seem to confirm that the two sampling methods possess a different capture power ofparticles as a function of their size.
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