Recorded presentation

Fanny T Nguyen, BS, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Box 357534, Seattle, WA 98195, 206-779-6498, fannyn@u.washington.edu

In Vietnam, silicosis represents 88% of all compensated occupational diseases. The levels workers are exposed to are unclear due to the lack of personal exposure assessment. In order to identify and reduce the risk of silicosis in Vietnam, we must understand the levels workers are exposed to; hence silica exposure assessment is needed. Inspection records of dust levels in Vietnamese refractory brick plants have also been collected and maintained, however, any exposure information in these records were obtained using the Vietnamese sampling and analytical methods. Understanding the relationship between the Vietnamese method and the US methods will allow us to determine whether or not factory inspection records based on the Vietnamese methods can be used in silica exposure classification in epidemiological studies and whether inspection record exposures can be compared to levels reported in the US academic literature. The objectives of this study was to determine the dust levels workers are exposed to in two refractory brick companies in Hanoi, Vietnam, as well as characterizing the relationship between the Vietnamese sampling and analytical method and the US method. Personal exposure sampling was conducted for silica and respirable dust exposure. Samples using the US method were also obtained concurrently with samples using the Vietnamese method. Our findings show that the silica and respirable dust levels are low and do not exceed the OSHA nor the Vietnamese permissible exposure limit. Our findings also show that the Vietnamese sampling method reports higher concentrations than the US method, thus they are not comparable.

Learning Objectives:

• To determine silica and respirable dust levels refractory brick workers in Vietnam are exposed to.
• To characterize the relationship between the Vietnamese sampling and analytical method and the US method.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation