Aerosols in the Workplace

Key points

  • Aerosols are small particles in the air that can be harmful.
  • NIOSH studies how to protect workers from harmful effects of aerosols.
  • NIOSH offers guides and tools to keep workers safe from harmful aerosols.
An aerosol is being sprayed and is very visible due to backlighting

Overview

An aerosol can be defined as a suspension of particles or droplets in air. Aerosols may include airborne dusts, mists, fumes, or smoke.

Suspended particle sizes may range from a few nanometers (nm) to hundreds of micrometers (µm) in diameter. For comparison a human hair may be between 20 to 180 µm in diameter. Particles can be manufactured or naturally occurring.

A welder in a hood and protective gear welds a seam.
A welder can potentially be exposed to welding fumes.

Aerosols in the workplace may pose both health and safety hazards. Aerosols are encountered across multiple industry sectors. Particles can be inhaled, absorbed by the skin, enter the eyes or be ingested. Factors such as particle size, composition, shape, and concentration, can determine whether particles can cause harm to workers. Harmful effects can be either short or long term. Safety hazards may include slips, fires, or explosions.

Research

NIOSH has carried out extensive aerosol research in exposure assessment, epidemiology, toxicology, risk mitigation, aerosol sampling and method development. This assists our understanding in:

  • How aerosols are formed and transported through the workplace.
  • Which workers may be most impacted and to what extent.
  • The health implications to workers.
  • The safety implications in the workplace.
  • How to sample for and measure aerosols in the workplace.
  • How to reduce or eliminate the health and safety hazards.

Hierarchy of Controls

NIOSH recommends using the Hierarchy of Controls in reducing or eliminating hazards in the workplace.


Resources

Below are some related resources based on NIOSH research.

Webpages

Reports

Engineering Controls Reports
Central repository of current NIOSH information on engineering control technology.
NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods (NMAM) 5th Edition
Collection of sampling and analytical methods for workplace exposure monitoring.
NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards
Helps users recognize and control workplace chemical hazards.

Mining products

Search NIOSHTIC-2 Database

NIOSHTIC-2 is a searchable bibliographic database of publications, documents, grant reports, and journal articles. Suggested key words: aerosol, particulate matter, dust, mists, fume, exhaust, aerosol or dust sampling, aerosol or dust exposure, combustible dusts.

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Content Source:
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health