Health impacts of sawdust

Any type of woodworking that involves cutting, either by hand or machine, releases sawdust (or wood dust). Because fine sawdust can float through the air, it can be easily inhaled without proper protection, leading to damaging injuries to a woodworker's skin and lungs. Sawdust is also an IARC group 1 Carcinogen. It is common in industries like carpentry, construction, and lumber milling. Although it may seem harmless, breathing in sawdust for long periods or in large amounts can be dangerous. Because fine sawdust can float through the air, it can be easily inhaled without proper protection, leading to damaging injuries to a woodworker's skin and lungs.This article explains the health risks of sawdust, possible long-term effects, and ways to stay safe.
Sawdust is most commonly generated when working with wood, whether it be sanding, sawing, or routing. Uncommonly, sawdust exposure can come from sweeping dust off of old furniture, which may haw sawdust particles inside. Occupations at higher risk include carpenters, construction workers, shipbuilding workers, cleaning or maintenance staff (sawdust generation or reintroduction), and workers in logging, sawmills, furniture, and cabinet making.
When the dust is inhaled, it is deposited in the nose, throat, and other airways. The amount of dust deposited within the airways depends on the size, shape, and density of the dust particles and the strength (turbulence and velocity) of the air-flow. Particles with a diameter larger than 5 μm (inspirable particles) are deposited almost completely in the nose, whereas particles 0.5 to 5 μm in diameter (respirable particles) are deposited in the lower airways (IARC 1981, 1995).
Wood dust usually is measured as the concentration of airborne dust, by particle size distribution, by type of wood, and by other characteristics of wood. Total airborne dust concentration is reported as mass per unit volume (usually milligrams of dust per cubic meter of air). Wood dust generally is collected by a standard gravimetric method, whereby a sampling pump is used to collect a known volume of air through a special membrane filter contained in a plastic cassette. Some sampling studies reported that the particle size distribution varied according to the woodworking operation, with sanding producing smaller particles than sawing, but others found no consistent differences (IARC 1995). The majority of the wood-dust mass was reported to be contributed by particles larger than 10 μm in aerodynamic diameter; however, between 61% and 65% of the particles by count measured between 1 and 5 μm in diameter (IARC 1995).
One of the biggest dangers of sawdust is how it affects the lungs. Small wood particles float in the air and can be inhaled, causing problems such as:
Exposure to wood dust also occurs through handling of compost containing wood dust. One study measured dust concentrations resulting from handling of compost material consisting of successive layers of chopped leaves, bark, and wood; visible clouds of fine particles were easily generated when the compost material was agitated. The reported background concentration of respirable dust sampled upwind of the compost pile was 0.32 mg/m3. During loading and unloading of compost, samplers in the breathing zone detected inspirable dust at 0.74 mg/m3 and respirable dust at 0.42 mg/m3. Samples collected directly from the visible clouds of particles generated by compost agitation contained inspirable dust at 149 mg/m3 and respirable dust at 83 mg/m3 (Weber et al. 1993).
The National Occupational Exposure Survey (conducted from 1981 to 1983) estimated that nearly 600,000 workers were exposed to woods (NIOSH 1990). Teschke et al. (1999) analyzed 1,632 measurements of personal time-weighted-average airborne wood-dust concentrations in 609 establishments on 634 inspection visits that were reported to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Integrated Management Information System between 1979 and 1997. Exposures ranged from less than 0.03 to 604 mg/m3, with an arithmetic mean of 7.93mg/m and a geometric mean of 1.86mg/m. High exposures occurred in the chemical, petroleum, rubber, and plastics products industries, in sanding, pattern making, and mill and saw operations. The lowest exposures occurred in industrial pattern-making facilities, paper and paperboard mills, schools and institutional training facilities, and veneer and plywood mills.
Use of hand-held electric sanders has been identified as a particularly dusty process that leads to dust exposure. Wood-dust concentrations vary with type of dust extraction, amount of wood removed, and type of sander (Thorpe and Brown 1994). For electric belt sanders used to sand dowels, total dust concentrations ranged from 0.22 mg/m with external dust extraction to 3.74 mg/m without extraction, and concentrations of respirable dust ranged from 0.003 mg/m3 with extraction to 0.936 mg/m3 without extraction. Rotary sanders tested with flat wood samples produced total dust concentrations ranging from 0.002 mg/m3 with extraction to 0.699 mg/ m3 without extraction; concentrations of respirable dust ranged from 0.001 mg/m3 with extraction to 0.088 mg/m3 without extraction. Comparable decreases in dust concentration were observed when dust extraction was used with electrical orbital sanders.
Both the skin and respiratory system can become sensitized to wood dust. When a person becomes sensitized to wood dust, he or she can suffer severe allergic reactions (such as asthma or dermatitis) after repeated exposure or exposure to lower concentrations of the dust.
Other common symptoms associated with wood dust exposure include skin and eye irritation; nasal dryness and obstruction; and prolonged colds. Different species of wood can cause different toxic effects. Human body absorbs the chemicals in the wood through the lungs, skin and digestive system, resulting in breathlessness, headaches, dizziness, cramps, irregular heartbeat and weight loss. Other substances used on or in wood (e.g., pesticides, paint, paint strippers, glues, adhesives, resins, waterproofing compounds, dyes, lacquers, varnishes and sealants, etc.) may also cause health problems.
Sawdust is an IARC group 1 Carcinogen. The OSHA permissible exposure limit for nuisance dust is 15 mg/m3 , total dust (5 mg/m3 , respirable fraction) 8 hour time weighted average. NIOSH has set a recommended exposure level of 1 mg/m3 total dust. The ACGIH has recommended a 0.5 mg/m3 Threshold Limit Value for western red cedar based on its asthma effects.
Human lungs have the capability to filter out big chunks of sawdust. However, the main risk are the fine particles that can easily float in the air and bypass a lung's natural filter. These small particles clog up air passageways within the lungs. Symptoms such as sneezing, watery eyes and breathing problems are the first signs of damaging sawdust exposure. Shortness of breath, decreased lung capacity and allergic reactions in the lungs (e.g., hypersensitivity pneumonitis) can also occur. Breathing in wood dust can lead to asthma and lung cancer.
Contact dermatitis can be caused from long exposure of sawdust with direct contact with skin. Itchiness is the leading symptom, followed with rashes, blisters, and scaling.
Woods such as plywood produce above average amounts of sawdust due to being primarily made of wood chips or particles, and are especially dangerous. When cut, these chips and particles are released into the air, only smaller.
Some woodworkers may have allergic reactions to certain woods, which can amplify the symptoms above if not treated.
Circular saws
Band Saws
Jointers
Shapers
Planers/Moulders
Lathes
Sanders
Routers
One way to prevent sawdust exposure is by wearing the gear for woodworking.
For many years, workers exposed to sawdust have faced health risks. In the 1970s, studies started linking wood dust to lung diseases and cancer. In response, organizations like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) set exposure limits and safety guidelines. In 1989, OSHA set a limit of 5 mg/m³ of wood dust for an 8-hour work shift (OSHA, 1989).The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified hardwood dust as a cancer-causing substance in 1995 (IARC, 1995).These rules help protect workers, but proper safety measures are still needed.
Attribution:
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.