User:Frank.hearl/sandbox

Dust sampling
Solid aerosol particles (dusts) can produce a biological response when inhaled. Dust sampling is performed by industrial hygienists or environmental engineers to measure properties of the exposure that correlate with the biological response. Different types of dust produce different responses. For example, inhaling large amounts of coal mine dust produces a lung fibrosis known as coal workers pneumoconiosis, also popularly known as "black lung." Inhaling dusts that contain crystalline silica can produce another type of lung disease known as silicosis. Exposure to cotton dusts produce a restrictive lung disease known as byssinosis. Exposure to elongate mineral particles (like asbestos fibers) can produce fibrotic lung disease known as asbestosis, cancer of the mesothelium (mesothelioma) or lung cancer. They nature of the hazard associated with the particle determines the methods needed for dust sampling.

Particle size
An important feature of dust is the average particle size.

Particle shape and density
The way a particle behaves in air is often termed its "aerodynamic diameter." For an irregularly shaped particle, its aerodynamic diameter is based on comparison to an equivalent spherical particle of that diameter with unit density, that is the same density as water or 1 gram per cubic centimeter. The measure of behavior is referenced to the settling velocity, or how quickly the particle will fall in still air.

Concentration
The primary measure of exposure for a dust is its concentration usually stated in milligrams per cubic meter of air. ￼

Composition
The toxicity of dusts is often related to the chemical composition of the dust, and in some cases the mineral structure or crystallinity of the material

Fibers
Particles that have an elongated shape often have biological effects that are not just related to the composition of the particles.