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Dust entry

Landscaping hardscaping dust

Respirable dust and respirable crystalline silica generated during hardscaping tasks such as cutting or grinding brick, block, and stone in landscaping work.

Airborne form

dustaerosol

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

silicosis concernrespirable crystalline silica exposurerespiratory disease concern

Evidence

A 2025 NIOSH field study of 80 landscaping workers at 11 worksites documented respirable dust and respirable crystalline silica exposures; it measured RCS overexposures at all hardscaping locations and states that dust capture or wet methods can reduce exposure, although respiratory protection may still be needed.

Source: pdf ↗ · saved source
page 1 · Abstract · 1
This field study ... documented the occupational exposures of 80 participants at 11 varied worksites to noise, CO, respirable dust, and RCS ... Overexposures to RCS were measured at all locations where hardscaping ... was taking place. The use of engineering controls such as dust capture or wet methods would reduce RCS exposures, but respiratory protection may still be needed.

Controls