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Chemical Sampling Information |
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| Kaolin (Total Dust) |
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General Description
Synonyms: China clay; Clay; Hydrated aluminum silicate; Hydrite; Porcelain clay
OSHA IMIS Code Number: 1568
Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) Registry Number: 1332-58-7
NIOSH, Registry of Toxic Effects (RTECS) Identification Number: GF1670500
NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards, Kaolin: chemical description, physical properties, potentially hazardous incompatibilities, and more
Exposure Limits
OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for General Industry: 29 CFR 1910.1000 Z-1 Table -- 15 mg/m3 TWA
OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for Maritime: 29 CFR 1915.1000 Table Z-Shipyards -- 15 mg/m3 TWA
American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) Threshold Limit Value (TLV): 2 mg/m3; The value is for particulate matter containing no asbestos and < 1% crystalline silica. Respirable fraction; see Appendix C, paragraph C. Appendix A4 - Not Classifiable as a Human Carcinogen.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Recommended Exposure Limit (REL): 10 mg/m3 TWA
Health Factors
Potential symptoms: Chronic pulmonary fibrosis; stomach granuloma; bronchitis, cough, dyspnea (breathing difficulty), pneumoconiosis, decreased pulmonary function (mild).
Health Effects: Nuisance particulates accumulation in lungs (Kaolinosis) (HE19) Cumulative lung damage (HE10)
Affected organs: Respiratory system, stomach
Notes: 1) Kaolin is a hydrated aluminum silicate, and its major use is in coating materials for the manufacture of glossy paper. 2) The prevalence of kaolinosis (kaolin pneumoconiosis) among workers at a kaolin plant in Georgia kaolinosis was reported to be 5.4%. Five of 12 workers with mild kaolinosis and a history of 12-35 years of exposure to kaolin were reported to have pleural thickening. 3) Although kaolinosis has occurred most frequently in workers who process mined kaolin for industrial use, a fatal case was reported in an industrial user (cotton textile mill worker).
Date Last Revised: 09/26/2005
Literature Basis:
- NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards: Kaolin.
- International Chemical Safety Cards (WHO/IPCS/ILO): Kaolin.
- Altekruse, E.B., Chaudhary, B.A., Pearson, M.G. and Morgan, W.K.: Kaolin dust concentrations and pneumoconiosis at a kaolin mine. Thorax 39(6): 436-441, 1984.
- Chaudhary, B.A., Kanes, G.J. and Pool, W.H.: Pleural thickening in mild kaolinosis. South. Med. J. 90(11): 1106-1109, 1997.
- Levin, J.L., Frank, A.L., Williams, M.G., McConnell, W., Suzuki, Y. and Dodson, R.F.: Kaolinosis in a cotton mill worker. Am. J. Ind. Med. 29(2): 215-221, 1996.
Monitoring Methods used by OSHA
Laboratory Sampling/Analytical Method:
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Page last updated: 04/06/2006
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