Mineral wool

Synonyms

Mineral rock wool; Slag wool;

Category

Synthetic Vitreous Fibers

Sources/Uses

Used for acoustic panels and thermal insulation; [ACGIH]

Comments

Mineral wool, regulated by OSHA as a nuisance dust, frequently causes skin irritation. IARC found a statistically significant mortality excess from lung cancer among rock/slag wool workers in Europe and the United States, but the reviewed studies did not clearly control for cigarette smoking or other occupational exposures. [ACGIH] Reviewed by ACGIH in 1999 as "Synthetic vitreous fibers."

Biomedical References

No

1 respirable fiber/cc (slag wool and rock wool)

Processes

Industrial Processes with risk of exposure:

• Insulation Installing and Removing