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Anhydrous borate dust

Airborne particulate from anhydrous sodium borates during occupational handling and processing.

Airborne form

dust

The form describes what is suspended in air at the point of exposure. A material can produce more than one form, such as dust during handling and fume during heating.

Health effects

eye irritationskin irritationupper respiratory irritationdermatitisnosebleedcoughbreathing difficulty

Evidence

The current NIOSH Pocket Guide sets a 1 mg/m³ time-weighted-average REL for anhydrous sodium borates, describes a white-to-gray odorless powder, and reports eye, skin, and upper-respiratory irritation, dermatitis, nosebleed, cough, and breathing difficulty.

Source: html ↗ · saved source
Exposure Limits; Physical Description; Exposure Routes; Symptoms; Target Organs · 1
NIOSH REL TWA 1 mg/m³. Physical Description White to gray, odorless powder. Exposure Routes inhalation, ingestion, skin and/or eye contact. Symptoms irritation eyes, skin, upper respiratory system; dermatitis; epistaxis (nosebleed); cough, dyspnea (breathing difficulty). Target Organs Eyes, skin, respiratory system.

NIOSH lists inhalation, ingestion, skin, and eye contact routes for anhydrous sodium borates and reports eye, skin, and upper-respiratory irritation, dermatitis, nosebleed, cough, and breathing difficulty; target organs are eyes, skin, and respiratory system.

Source: html ↗ · saved source
Symptoms and target organs · 1
Exposure Routes: inhalation, ingestion, skin and/or eye contact. Symptoms: irritation eyes, skin, upper respiratory system; dermatitis; epistaxis (nosebleed); cough, dyspnea (breathing difficulty). Target Organs: Eyes, skin, respiratory system.
Source: pdf ↗ · saved source
page 10 · Acute Symptoms · 1
Thirty three percent of the workers noted dryness of the mouth, nose, or throat and 28 percent noted eye irritation at exposures of 14.9 mg/m3. Nosebleeds and dry cough were noted by 15 percent, and sore throats and productive cough were noted by 8 percent at this exposure.

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