Environmental study of nylon flocking process

Environmental measurements for a variety of gas, particulate, and microbiol ogical agents have been made in order to characterize exposures associated with the nylon flocking process. Of all agents measured, particulate is the predominant exposure. Levels of total particulate ranged from 0.1 to 240 m g/m(3) ((x) over bar = 11.4 mg/m(3)). Average respirable particulate was 2. 2 mg/m(3), ranging from 0.5 to 39.9 mg/m(3). Highest levels of particulates were round in the flocking room, and direct reading dust measurements indi cate that the highest peak exposures are associated with "blowdown" (a clea ning procedure used between flocking runs). The nature of the airborne part icles was investigated using polarized light and scanning electron microsco py. Air samples were found to contain Nock particles (fibers nominally 10-1 5 mu m in diameter by about 1000 mu m in length) and a variety of respirabl e particles types, several of which were linked directly to the process. Of special interest were elongated respirable particles, which by microscopic analysis, complemented with melting-point determination, were found to be shreds of nylon.