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Calcium oxide (lime) dust

Airborne calcium oxide particulate generated during lime production, handling, and use.

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 irritationnasal septum ulcerationnasal septum perforationpneumonitischemical pneumoniadermatitis

Evidence

The current NIOSH Pocket Guide identifies calcium oxide as white or gray granular powder and reports eye, skin, and upper-respiratory irritation, nasal injury, pneumonitis, and dermatitis after exposure.

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Exposure Limits; Physical Description; Exposure Routes; Symptoms · 1
Physical Description White or gray, odorless lumps or granular powder. Exposure Routes inhalation, ingestion, skin and/or eye contact. Symptoms irritation eyes, skin, upper resp tract; ulcer, perforation nasal septum; pneumonitis; dermatitis.

NIOSH identifies eye, skin, and upper-respiratory irritation; nasal septum ulceration and perforation; pneumonitis; and dermatitis as effects associated with calcium oxide dust.

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Exposure Limits; Exposure Routes; Symptoms; Target Organs · 1
NIOSH REL TWA 2 mg/m³. OSHA PEL TWA 5 mg/m³. Exposure Routes inhalation, ingestion, skin and/or eye contact. Symptoms irritation eyes, skin, upper resp tract; ulcer, perforation nasal septum; pneumonitis; dermatitis. Target Organs Eyes, skin, respiratory system.

NIOSH reports that calcium oxide dust can cause chemical pneumonia and severe respiratory irritation, and gives a revised IDLH of 25 mg/m³ based on human acute-inhalation data.

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Basis for original IDLH; Human data; Revised IDLH · 1
Because Patty [1963] reported that inhalation of the dust can cause chemical pneumonia and severe respiratory tract irritation ... Strong nasal irritation has been reported to result from exposures to about 25 mg/m³ ... The revised IDLH for calcium oxide is 25 mg/m³ based on acute inhalation toxicity data in humans.

The NIOSH/OSHA review attributes irritation of the skin, eyes, and respiratory passages, nasal-septum injury, and pneumonia to lime-dust exposure.

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CALCIUM OXIDE · 2
The major complaints of workers exposed to lime consist of irritation of the skin and eyes, although inflammation of the respiratory passages, ulceration and perforation of the nasal septum, and even pneumonia have been attributed to inhalation of the dust.

A NIOSH health-hazard evaluation states that lime dust irritates the eyes and upper respiratory tract.

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page 1 · Summary · 1
Calcium oxide (lime dust) irritates the eyes and upper respiratory tract.

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