Determination of Pollutants in the Air of Textile Industries

Abstract

Determination of Pollutants in the Air of Textile Industries: Valentino Rimatori. et at. Institute of Occupational Medicine, Catholic University—In order to investigate the pollution degree in three weaving and dyeing and in two clothing factories, the authors measured the indigo, oil mist, hydrogen sulfide (H2S), sulfur dioxide (S02) and total particulate matter (TP), as well as the biphenyl, o‐ phenylphenol and p‐phenylendiamine (PPDA) concentrations. H2S ranged from <0.01 to 1.85 mg/ m3; indigo from <0.001 to 0.042 mg/m3; TP from 0.58 to 3.65 mg/m3; biphenyl and o‐phenylphenol from 0.2 to 15.5 mg/m3. S02 and PPDA concentrations were lower than 0.2 ppm and 5 μg/m3 respectively. Higher concentrations were recorded during specific operations. The oil mist concentrations in different factories at different heights in the air, ranged from 0.2 to 15.5 mg/m3. Up to date, neither the TLV nor the maximum allowable concentration for indigo and o‐phenylphenol have been established, and there are no studies on the health effects of long term exposure, so the risk for the concentrations listed above cannot be assessed. The PPDA concentration in our study was much lower than the ACGIH TLV for 1993‐1994. Biphenyl concentration sometimes exceeded the TLV, suggesting the need for closer controls in the workplace. Oil mist concentration in weaving rooms fell within the TLV, except in the weaving rooms where air forcing and air extraction systems were at a higher level: here the concentration of oil mist exceeded this limit.