ADVANCEMENT OF THE PRACTICE
Open Access
THE PRACTITIONER’S TOOL KIT
The Small Talk on Dust
James J. Balsamo, Jr., MS, MPH, MHA, RS, CP-FS, CSP, CHMM, DEAAS Nancy Pees Coleman, MPH, PhD, RPS, RPES, DAAS
Brian Collins, MS, REHS, DLAAS Gary P. Noonan, CAPT (Retired), MPA, RS/REHS, DEAAS Robert W. Powitz, MPH, PhD, RS, CP-FS, DABFET, DLAAS Vincent J. Radke, MPH, RS, CP-FS, CPH, DLAAS Charles D. Treser, MPH, DEAAS
Editor’s Note: The National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) strives to provide relevant and useful information for environmental health practitioners. In a recent membership survey, we heard your request for information in the Journal that is more applicable to your daily work. We listened and are pleased to feature this column from a cadre of environmental health luminaries with over 300 years of combined experience in the environmental health field. This group will share their tricks of the trade to help you create a tool kit of resources for your daily work. The conclusions of this column are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the ocial position of NEHA, nor does it imply endorsement of any products, services, or resources mentioned.
lexicon via the courts, where its visible pres- ence or absence are now part of the sanitation evaluation metric. Sampling dust is straightforward and pro- vides answers in real-time rather than wait- ing for growth in some culture medium. Identifying the specific particles in dust to determine their source takes a bit of prac- tice. Once mastered, however, it makes our work much easier in determining contami- nation controls and preventive measures. There are two basic approaches to sampling dust. The first is sampling air and horizon- tal surfaces, which we will discuss in further detail. The second is examining the contents of a vacuum cleaner. Both applications pro- vide a wealth of information. Creating Your Dust Tool Kit Surveying, sampling, identifying, and clas- sifying dust in the field only needs a few things added to our regular inspection tool kit (Photo 1). There are, however, three addi- tional essential components or tools needed to complete a dust survey and to examine and catalog the samples. The first and most essential component is an air quality monitor. There are several on the market that meet or exceed our needs and are quite reasonable in cost (approxi- mately $500), as well as easy to operate. The preferred air quality monitoring system ideally measures two particle size param- eters: particles that are >0.5µm and >2.5µm in size. It should measure for both particle concentrations and mass concentrations, the latter being the most frequently mentioned in the popular literature and most readily understood by the public. A particle sam-
I n a recent edition of The New Yorker , Da- vid Ostow penned a cartoon titled, The Creation of Dust . The cartoon shows two impish angels talking to god. With a smile on his face and great enthusiasm, one of the angels suggests, “They tidy and they neaten and they straighten and they walk away all proud of themselves. And then, when they get back—BAM!—this crap is all over the place.” Well, at least now we know where it originated. Dust! Regardless of what we say about it, dust can be a remarkable tool in assessing air- borne contamination, the presence of aller- gens, the condition and e ciency of a venti- lation system, and tracking people’s activity. Since dust is a mixture of tiny particles of solid matter, it is fairly easy to sample and is stable for analysis. What Is Dust? Approximately 40 million tons of dust settle on the U.S. every year, with approximately 40 pounds of dust in every home (Ashlett, 1999). Dust can include bacteria, smoke, volcanic ash, salt crystals from the ocean, microplas- tics, tiny fragments of plants and animals, dust mites ( Arachnida ), plant trichomes, pollen, fungal spores, and small bits of dirt or rock, including sand. Dust that is generated in the
indoor environment can also contain bacte- ria, hair, fungal spores, pet dander, cat litter, body powder, household chemicals, food (e.g., flour), and airborne food allergens. Dust is anything small that can become airborne. Dust particles range in size from 1 to 400 μm (1 μm = 0.001 mm or approximately 0.00004 in.). Particles larger than about 100 μm (0.1 mm or 0.004 in.), which is about the width of a human hair, are visible to the unaided eye. By identifying various particles and estimating size and mass, we can infer its origin. While dust identification cannot be equated to disease transmission, it does give us a clue to the environmental conditions that might preclude disease. We all know that dust-free environments are crucial to retail success and reflect pro- fessionalism, particularly in restaurants, gro- cery stores, and medical facilities. A dust-free environment conveys a message of diligence and respect for customers and patrons. If cus- tomers see dirty surfaces and dusty shelves, they leave, and in many cases, they complain. When we note dusty conditions, we make a fair assumption that other environmental health-related issues await our discovery, resulting in more detailed and probative inspections. Dust has even found its way into the institutional environmental health
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Volume 87 • Number 10
https://doi.org/10.70387/001c.140445
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