Airborne particulate from mica handling and processing.
Evidence
The current NIOSH Pocket Guide sets a 3 mg/m³ respirable REL for mica, describes colorless odorless flakes or sheets of hydrous silicates, and reports eye irritation, pneumoconiosis, cough, breathing difficulty, lassitude, and weight loss.
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Exposure Limits; Physical Description; Exposure Routes; Symptoms · 1NIOSH REL TWA 3 mg/m³ (resp). Physical Description Colorless, odorless flakes or sheets of hydrous silicates. Exposure Routes inhalation, skin and/or eye contact. Symptoms irritation eyes; pneumoconiosis, cough, dyspnea (breathing difficulty); lassitude (weakness, exhaustion); weight loss.
The current NIOSH Pocket Guide identifies mica as colorless, odorless flakes or sheets of hydrous silicates and gives a 3 mg/m3 respirable REL; it reports pneumoconiosis, cough, breathing difficulty, weakness, and weight loss among symptoms.
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Exposure Limits; Physical Description; Exposure Routes; Symptoms · 1NIOSH REL TWA 3 mg/m3 (resp). Physical Description Colorless, odorless flakes or sheets of hydrous silicates. Exposure Routes inhalation, skin and/or eye contact. Symptoms irritation eyes; pneumoconiosis, cough, dyspnea; lassitude; weight loss.
NIOSH lists inhalation, skin, and eye contact routes for mica and reports eye irritation, pneumoconiosis, cough, breathing difficulty, lassitude, and weight loss; the target organ is the respiratory system.
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Symptoms and target organs · 1Exposure Routes: inhalation, skin and/or eye contact. Symptoms: irritation eyes; pneumoconiosis, cough, dyspnea (breathing difficulty); lassitude (weakness, exhaustion); weight loss. Target Organs: respiratory system.
A NIOSH health-hazard evaluation discussing mica dust reports that published studies found a dose-related association between mica exposure and pneumoconiosis, with chronic cough and dyspnea also reported; the evaluated workplace exposures were not toxic at the concentrations measured.
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page 4 · Health Hazard Evaluation Determination · 2Studies of pneumoconiosis among workers exposed to mica dust indicate a dose-related association with mica dust. Other symptoms include chronic cough and dyspnea; and, less frequently, weakness and weight loss.