Dust entry

Rubber-compounding chemical dust

Respirable dust containing powdered rubber-processing chemicals released during weighing, charging, compounding, and mixing operations.

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

reduced respiratory capacityrespiratory irritationoccupational cancer concernskin exposure concern

Evidence

A NIOSH evaluation at a tire-manufacturing plant reviewed exposure data and found that no breathing-zone air samples in the company's five-year database exceeded occupational exposure limits; NIOSH also found the general and local exhaust ventilation systems operating properly and recommended explaining results and referring possible respiratory conditions for occupational-medical assessment.

Source: pdf ↗ · saved source
page 4 · Highlights of this Evaluation — What We Found · 1

None of the breathing zone air samples the company collected during the past 5 years exceeded occupational exposure limits. ... The general and local exhaust ventilation systems were operating properly.

NIOSH describes dusts containing rubber chemicals in tire manufacturing as associated with reduced respiratory capacity and increased incidence of stomach and intestinal cancer, and recommends vacuum or wet cleaning, careful powder handling, and ventilation controls.

Source: CDC/NIOSH: Work practices for rubber compounding and mixing areas ↗

Controls

closed powder handling
local exhaust ventilation
vacuum or wet cleaning
avoid compressed-air cleaning
exposure monitoring
appropriate respiratory protection