Cotton dust, raw

Agent Name
Cotton dust, raw
Major Category
Biological Agents
Synonyms
Cotton; Flax; Soft hemp; Kapok
Category
Plant & Animal Dusts/Aerosols
Sources/Uses
Highest exposures from opening, picking, carding, and blowing fibers; Lower risk for spinning, winding, and twisting; weavers have the lowest risk; Byssinosis is also seen in other industries (cottonseed oil extraction, cotton waste utilization and mattress/bedding) and in workers exposed to soft hemp, flax, and sisal dusts. [Levy, p. 416]
Comments
Raw, unprocessed cotton dust causes byssinosis. After a heavy exposure, cotton, flax, hemp, and kapok dusts can also cause "mill fever." [Rom, p. 410]
Biomedical References

Exposure Assessment

Skin Designation (ACGIH)
Insufficient data
TLV (ACGIH)
0.1 mg/m3, thoracic fraction
PEL (OSHA)
1 mg/m3, resp. dust, measured by vertical elutriator
MAK
1.5 mg/m3, inhalable fraction
IDLH (NIOSH)
100 mg/m3
Excerpts from Documentation for IDLHs
Note: The 1 mg/m3 OSHA PEL for cotton dust applies to the cotton waste processing operations of waste recycling (sorting, blending, cleaning, and willowing) and garnetting. In other sectors involving cotton, OSHA currently requires in 29 CFR 1919.1043 that workers be provided with and required to wear and use a powered, air­purifying respirator equipped with high­efficiency particulate filters in concentrations exceeding 100 × the applicable OSHA PEL of either 0.2, 0.5, or 0.75 mg/m3.
Half Life
Accumulates in the lungs; [TDR, p. 401]

Adverse Effects

Chronic Bronchitis
Yes
ACGIH Carcinogen
Not Classifiable

Diseases, Processes, and Activities Linked to This Agent

Diseases

Occupational diseases associated with exposure to this agent:

Processes

Industrial Processes with risk of exposure:

Activities

Activities with risk of exposure: